Broken Trust
by Royal Blue Alchemist
Summary: Ozai has escaped and has taken Katara with him. Katara faces a new journey with the former Fire Lord, but not all is as it seems. She knows Ozai can't be trusted, but she soon realizes he isn't the only one. Set three years after the end of the series.
1. The Meeting

**xXx Chapter 1 xXx**

**xXx The Meeting xXx**

A violent storm raged across the Fire Nation Islands; the wind and rain scraped against the land and its structures. Katara glanced out the windows, into the tropical nightmare, as she walked down the hall. The lit torches, which hung neatly on the walls, made a juxtaposed scene with the elements raging outside. She had been wandering around this maze of a palace all evening trying to find Aang. She spent a lot of time in the Fire Nation, the soul reason being that Aang often had to make extended trips there. He was always more than willing to come when Zuko needed him. He practically lived in the Fire Nation now. Despite the time spent here, she still had difficulties finding her way around.

She once had dreams of living a normal life with Aang after he defeated Ozai, but they were just dreams. Some much strain had been put on their relationship – it was easier when they were traveling the world together. She could see the problems, but she knew Aang couldn't, or wouldn't. It had been three years after Ozai's defeat, but Aang still acted like a little kid. There was wisdom, but not the maturity for a relationship. She often thought about ending it, but Aang was just too sweet.

"Katara!" Aang was swiftly walking toward her, with his same goofy grin. Some part of her often hated that grin, but this time, she was happy to see it.

She breathed a sigh of relief, "Aang, I've been looking everywhere for you."

When he reached her, he kissed her lightly on the cheek, which was the usual greeting, "Hi, ah, I can't stay," a frown crossed her face, "Don't be mad... I have to meet up with Zuko." His smile faded when Katara continued to look disappointed, "I'll meet up with you in the garden in an hour!" His words jumbled together as he bolted off.

Katara stared after him, "Garden? Has he not noticed the storm?" She muttered to herself, seeing how Aang was too far away to hear, even if she yelled.

For her, there wasn't much to do here, there never was. Instead of going back to her room, she decided to go on to the garden since it would take her thirty minutes or more to even find it. She would at least wait near the garden. As more time passed, her feet dragged across the floor, and she thought she would never reach her destination. She had to focus entirely too much on the darkness outside to see if she had reached the garden. Her eyes and feet were about to give out on her when she saw the tall trees whipping over the swirling pond.

She collapsed down on one of the chairs that was placed in front of the doors which led to the garden. She waited and waited, slowly the storm died, and Aang never showed. She knew she had waited well over Aang's promised hour, and got up in a huff. She stomped aimlessly through the long halls, not caring if Aang found her.

"Katara?" she skidded to a halt, barely avoiding a collision with Zuko, "What are you doing here?"

"I _was _waiting for Aang." She crossed her arms over her chest in annoyance.

"Waiting for him...? I saw Aang on the other side of the palace. He said that he was with you." He gave her an apologetic look.

"But he said he was meeting with you," confusion masked her face, "he was probably looking for me... I must be at the wrong garden..." She said the last part more to herself, but Zuko still heard her.

Zuko shifted his weight from one foot to another, not sure of what to say, "Katara, um, I'm not sure if it's my place to say, but..." he trailed off, unable to finish his sentence.

"What, Zuko?"

The increased look of worry on her face only made Zuko more unsure, "It's probably nothing, but when I saw him, he was already with someone."

"With someone? Who?"

He quickly painted out a picture of what he saw, "I couldn't see her, they were out in the garden. I said hello… I should have known something was wrong when I didn't get a response. Then Aang said she wasn't feeling well and that it hurt for her to speak. I didn't really believe him, but I decided not to question him about it."

Katara stayed silent for a few moments, "You're sure he said he was with me?" Her voice sounded small and desperate.

"Yes." That was all he could manage to say; he honestly didn't know how to handle the situation.

Zuko felt sorry for her, and irritated with Aang. Upon deciding that he had to say something, he placed his hands on her shoulders but lost his nerve when she looked up at him with her sad eyes. He hesitated but finally managed to splutter out something that wasn't all too reassuring, "Don't worry about this Katara... I'm sure it was nothing...just go ask him about it." he quickly changed his mind, if Katara went after him she would yell at him, "No, wait, I'll go ask him."

Katara's expression didn't change, "You don't have to do that, I'm sure you have something much more important to do."

He cut in when she started to walk away, "No don't...! just, just sit here, "he gently pushed her down onto one of the seats, "and I'll go get Aang for you." he added more when he saw the suspicious look on her face. "Since you don't know your way around here too well, it will be easier if I go get him." He waited in silence for her answer.

"Sure, okay."

Zuko gave a sigh of relief before he walked off. He knew she probably thought that he was going to go warn Aang, but he knew if she found him with another girl... it would not bode well for the 'other' girl.

That was what Katara thought, and she had no intension of waiting there, or looking for Aang. She just wanted some fresh air. She decided to leave the palace, knowing that Zuko and Aang would look for her there first. She didn't want walk through the marketplace, she wanted to be alone. It had stopped storming, but little droplets of rain would hit her head every now and again. Silently, she cursed herself, she should have grabbed her coat before going out into the cool night. She couldn't see much the few stars that were out, but they did provide her with a little light.

She stumbled through the darkness; firebending powers would be really useful right about now. Even without the light she continued to walk, further than she had ever gone before. She started to wonder if there was anything else on this island, with all the free time she had here, she should know this place inside and out. The cold air around her intensified and she really wished she had her coat. Fog was settling around her, making her feel a little unsafe. She thought about turning around, and then she saw something in the distance.

A dark shape that probably wasn't visible form the marketplace or palace. Curiosity got the best of her, and she walked further and further away from the palace. Soon, she could no longer see it when she turned to look. She couldn't see the new building through the fog until she was practically at the door. It was then she realized where she was; the City Capital Prison.

Satisfied with her discovery, she prepared to head back; however, the sky had a different idea in mind, for it started to rain again. She groaned and quickly backed up until she was pressed against the prison door, and the roofing provided some protection. She looked beside her and almost laughed. The guard stationed by the door was asleep. She glanced and the rain in front of her, at the door, then back at the guard. What would it hurt if she went inside? After all, she couldn't go back out there, she had barely managed to get up here to begin with. The climb down wouldn't be easy, not with it raining.

The door opened with ease; so much for the security here. She stepped in quietly and closed the massive door behind her. It was a little warmer than outside, but not by much. She had no room to complain though; at least it was dry, for the most part. Sighing, she ran her fingers through her damp hair. This was defiantly not her day. Slowly, she walked down the stone floor, if a guard found her, it wouldn't be particularly good. As she went on, she began to think no one was on duty.

She jumped when a scream pierced her ears. She felt panic wash over her until she realized that it was not a scream of pain, but of anger. Annoyance replaced the fear when she put the voice with a face. Azula. She frowned, she never really thought about what happened to her. She knew Ozai was here, as he should be. In her opinion, Azula was too dangerous to be keept here. She was crazy, even more so than her father. As she thought about it, she came to the conclusion that the guards here would be attending to Azula, who was still screaming.

She didn't realize that she was still walking until she was deep in the building. Cells lined the wall to her left. She froze in her tracks and gave a sigh of dismay. She would never find her way out of this maze; it was just like the palace. She soon came across to one cell that had a guard stationed by it.

'Asleep, just like the other one.' she thought to herself as she looked down at the dozing man.

She tilted her head to the side and wondered why this was the only cell with a guard. She knew it wasn't Azula's; her screaming had faded as she walked further away. She glanced into the cell and saw that only one candle lit the room. The sad little candle provided less light than the cloud-covered stars. She could barely see the dark blob that sat in the corner of the small room. Quickly, she ducked down, worried that the person might see her. She shook her head since there was no way the person that was in there could have seen her. It was simply too dark.

"Don't bother, I already saw you."

She clasped her hands over her mouth to keep from gasping, though it didn't entirely work. She didn't know what to do, so she just leaned against the door in silence.

"Zuko, you've graced me with your presence again, hmm? I told you, I don't know where your mother is, but she's probably dead."

The cold sarcasm in the man's voice made her cringe. Her mind was searching for the face that went with the voice, but the voice alone wasn't enough. So she focused on what was said; it wasn't hard to piece it together. She now knew why a guard was here, it was Ozai's cell. She should not be here; this was the man that wanted Aang dead. Slowly, she pushed herself off the door, and tried to creep away.

"Where are you going?" There was no real curiosity in his voice.

Katara inwardly cursed before standing up. Even worn down by three years in prison, his voice was still strong and demanding. For whatever reason, she felt it would be unwise to disobey him.

"It's not Zuko..." She looked back up into the little square hole in the door, and only her blue eyes were visible in the dark. She didn't fell too scared, since there was space separating the door and the actual cell.

Ozai didn't move from his spot, and took his time responding to her statement, "...The waterbending girl, you were with the Avatar."

She gasped in surprise once again, he knew her, but how? They had never really met. This didn't bode well for her.

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**Love, hugs, and fireflakes to all who review!**


	2. The Breakup

**xXx Chapter 2 xXx**

**xXx The Breakup xXx**

Her nails dug into the wood of the old door, "How do you know me?"

She could see him tilt his head in the dark, "Azula told me of the Water Tribe peasant girl."

Her nails dug deeper into the wood at the 'peasant' remark, "My name is Katara, not peasant girl." She glared at him through the darkness, her voice vehemently echoing off the walls.

He chuckled at her little outburst, "So, what is it you want...Katara the Waterbender?"

There was no real curiosity in his voice, just the willingness to humor her.

The way he said her name made her cringe back a bit. Then a slight blush covered her face since she didn't have an answer for him. She tapped her fingers on the door, trying to pull an answer out of thin air.

"Well?" Irritation tainted his voice.

She flinched, his voice was so cold and demanding, "Well...I was just walking around...and I ended up here." She mumbled more than half of her statement.

He let out another amused laugh, "You were walking outside, in the middle of the night, in the rain? You also managed to end up here?"

Her blush intensified, she would give anything to not be here. Thankfully, he gave her the chance to leave.

"If you don't have anything to say, perhaps you should leave." she could hear the smirk in his voice, "The guards here do slack off, but it won't be long until someone finds you." any interest that he had before was now gone.

She didn't waste any time and immediately moved away from the door and started down the hallway. His voice made her stop in her tracks, "Goodbye, Katara the Waterbender."

She flinched again as he said her name. His voice was so bitter, and every word he had said seemed to be laced with sarcasm. She thought the way Zuko use to talk to her made her feel insignificant, but now it seemed like nothing. She refused to reply to him, so she began walking once more. She made each and every turn like she knew exactly where she was going. She smiled to herself since she was getting good at finding her way through all the 'mazes' on this island. All her problems disappeared for one moment as she found the rusted double doors of the prison.

The doors were heavy, and she had to put all her body weight on it to force it open. Once outside, she had to do the same thing, and it closed with a bang. Still, the guard slept soundly. She faintly wondered if the guards had been this incompetent when Ozai was in power. That thought soon passed because it didn't seem likely. She took a deep breath as she looked out at the stormy sky. She really wished she hadn't left the palace. Deciding she couldn't stay there any longer, she pushed herself off the door and ran off.

She ran blindly through the darkness, somehow keeping her balance through all the rocks and tree branches that littered the ground. The rain was so cold that it stung her face, and the wind wasn't being too kind either. Without warning, she tripped over a tree branch and fell to the wet ground with a thud. Just to make her day worse, she had to be on a slope, so she continued to fall. She closed her eyes and covered her face with her arms. It was over before she could do anything else. Slowly, she opened her eyes and rose to her feet, she was relived to find that she wasn't hurt badly enough to hinder her walking.

Still, a frown crossed her face when she saw that she was covered from head to foot in mud. With a defeated sigh, she continued on her way toward the palace. As she snuck back into the palace, she prayed that no one would see her. Before she had entered, she had tried to wipe some of the mud off of her. For the most part it worked; at least she wasn't tracking mud on the pretty palace floors. She kept close to the wall, wishing she could blend in with it. Her feet seemed to carry her through the hall, and she only hoped they were taking her to the right place. After all, she found her way out of the prison, why should this be any different?

Her heart lifted as she saw the door to her room. She had painted the symbol on her necklace on the door a long time ago. It was the only way she could find her room. She quickly opened the door and scurried inside. After closing the door she immediately went to the bathroom and started the shower. Peeling off her soaked clothes gave her some relief from her stressful day. She didn't waste any time stepping into the shower, even though the water was still a little cold. Slowly, she started to wash the mud off of her body. Soon, she realized that she was rubbing the cloth so harshly that her delicate skin turned red. She threw the cloth to the floor in frustration as hot tears threatened to slip from her eyes.

One part of her was furious at the idea of Aang cheating on her, the other part refused to believe that he would. Her head was killing her, and it only intensified when she thought about her encounter with Ozai. She decided that her problem with Aang was more important. After all, there was no real problem with Ozai, why should she even be concerned? No, it didn't matter at all. It wasn't as if he threatened her. Sighing, she got out of the shower, now that she wasn't covered with mud. She dreaded facing Aang, but she knew it had to be done.

Quickly, she got dressed and stepped out into her room. Remembering the cold and rain outside, she grabbed her coat. She doubted she would be going outside again, but better safe than sorry. She opened her bedroom door and was surprised to see Zuko with his fist raised in the air to knock on the door. He quickly dropped his hand and cleared his throat.

"Katara... um." He looked down at her with a look of pity and uncertainty.

She tried not to glare at him, but her face refused to form a smile, "Well? What did Aang say?" It came out more harshly than she had intended.

Zuko's expression became more troubled, "Aang asked me to bring you to him...I don't know if I should say anything..." He spoke very slowly; she could tell that he would rather be anywhere but here.

She sighed and knew she shouldn't be taking out her anger on him, "...Okay, just take me to him. I'm sorry you got wrapped up in this."

Zuko let out a sigh of relief. He motioned for her to follow him without a word. They continued to walk in silence, which gave her time to think. Time to become annoyed. Why did she have to go to Aang? He was the one that was in trouble, he should be coming to her with flowers and chocolates. No matter how cliché chocolate and flowers were. She wanted to ask Zuko how Aang could have the audacity to make her go to him, but she didn't want to make him more unconformable than he already was.

She wasn't sure if she wanted to tell Aang off, or give him time to explain. Her face heated up with anger as she dwelled on it more and more. She was starting to wish she had stayed at the prison now. She felt too angry to speak to Aang. Why did he have to do this? What happened to the 'modest monk' routine? He was certainly modest with her. Of all the years she had been with him, he had never tried to push things further. Perhaps it was because she never brought it up... maybe the _other _girl did. Her stomach instantly sank. How could she jump to such drastic conclusions? Aang would not do that to her. Would he? She gave a sideways glance to Zuko.

"Zuko, have you... slept with-."

"Katara!" Zuko turned to her, his face bright red, "Look, I don't think Aang would-."

"Wait..." Katara cut him off before he could finish, "You talked to Aang before coming to get me. You should know if he has done anything." She gave him a stern look.

Zuko's face remained red, "I think this is something you should talk about with Aang. Not me."

She stopped walking and tried to stare him down, even though he was still taller than her, "Zuko, I thought you were my friend. If you know something, you should tell me." It made her sick to play the guilt card on Zuko.

Some of the color drained from his face, "We are friends," his voice sounded hurt, which hurt her, "Aang is my friend too. I just think that I shouldn't get involved."

She couldn't blame him for that. As they walked, she realized that Zuko's pace was slowing. She thought it was odd since he never did that. Then, he suddenly stopped. She came to a halt a few feet in front of him.

"What's wrong, Zuko?"

He ran a hand through his raven hair, "Katara, Aang is going to... that girl, she." He stopped and took a deep breath.

She waited for him to continue, but he didn't, "Zuko, is he going to break up with me?"

He sighed, "You're my friend, and I think Aang is wrong. He is going to end it, but I think you should do it first. I think he's taking all of this too lightly. He doesn't seem to be considering your feelings. Perhaps it would do him some good to feel the pain of a break up."

She let a small laugh, "Wow, Zuko. I didn't know you could still put together such a deceiving plan." Her mood lifted as she joked with Zuko.

He smiled and laughed a bit too, "I'm just trying to teach him a lesson. As a friend, of course. Oh, and were here."

He pointed to a large door at least fifteen feet away. She gave him a small smile before heading toward it. As she walked, she could hear Zuko's footsteps growing fainter. Taking a deep breath, she opened the door to the garden. Now he remembers the garden. She looked around her to see that it had stopped raining, but it was still wet outside. She didn't have to walk far to find him. He was standing at the edge of the pond, and he turned and looked at her.

"Katara, I need to talk to you about something." He spoke with a light tone, it made her face heat up again.

"Yeah, so do I." Her voice was cold.

He didn't seem to take mind to her tone of voice, "Katara, I think that we should-."

"I'll safe you the trouble, Aang, it's over." A sob broke through her voice, and she cursed herself for it.

"Zuko told you." He wasn't asking a question, just simply stating a fact.

"Don't be mad at him, he tried his best to stay out if it." She turned her back to him and started walking away, "Oh, and one more thing."

She flipped her hand in the air, and water from the pond washed over him. She sent another wave at him, and this time, some of it froze on his legs. She glared at him as he fell backwards, a look of pure shock on his face. He easily freed his legs from the ice, but she stormed out the door before he could say anything. As she stomped down the hall, she wiped the hot tears away from her eyes.

She looked down at the coat she was clutching in her hand. She needed some fresh air, to once again be out of the palace. She harshly wrapped her coat around her body and jerked the hood up as she stomped out of the palace. She looked up at the rocky land that hid the prison. For some reason, she wanted to go back. Why on earth would she want to go back? It was filled with horrible people, people she wanted nothing to do with. She wanted nothing to do with Ozai. He wouldn't want anything to do with her. As she came back from her thoughts, she was shocked to realize that she was walking toward the prison. For whatever reason, she didn't stop. Something told her that she needed to go back.

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**Love, hugs, and fireflakes to all who review!**


	3. A Hard Decision

**xXx Chapter 3 xXx**

**xXx A Hard Decision xXx**

The chilly night air danced around her frail body, and the malevolent storm had calmed substantiality. Every now and then, icy rain would splash against her dark face. Through the break in the charcoal clouds, some twinkling stars were visible. They seemed so lonesome, between the gaps in the clouds. The moon wasn't even present to keep the shining stars company. She cast her gaze down to the damp ground, for the sight made her sad. The dark muddy ground didn't make a pleasant picture, though it was less painful to look at. She wrapped her slender arms around her waist, trying to pull her coat closer.

Her feet started to move across the dark colored dirt, leaving faint trails behind her. The journey up the steep hillside seemed more difficult, perhaps because she was taking her time. Once she was half way up the hill she stopped, and sat down on a nearby boulder. She rubbed her aching head, and truly thought about what she was doing. What she had done. Why she had done it. Why she wanted to go back to the prison. Surely, it wasn't to see Ozai. It couldn't be. She forced herself to think back to her first adventure in the prison. During the brief time she had thought about her midnight trip earlier, she had believed it was just random.

As she dwelled in her thoughts, she came to another conclusion. Even though she hadn't thought about Ozai once since his defeat, she had to know that he was locked away. Zuko would not be so cold hearted as to kill his father. Even though Ozai lacked the heart to spare his own son's life. With that in mind, she had to know what would be awaiting her in the dark cells of the prison. So, why would she willingly go there?

Vehemently, she shook her head, refusing to believe that Ozai had anything to do with her going there. As far as she was concerned, there was no reason for her going there. Not one that she wanted to admit to anyway... After all, Ozai was once a powerful man, and he had the powerful body to prove it. Suddenly, she jumped up and shook her head again.

"No!" She wrenched her hair and miserly shut her eyes.

As her eyes opened, they fell upon the palace, and from there onto the big houses that surrounded it. The fire of the torches lit the way through the homes, though it did not illuminate it thoroughly. Little patches of darkness laid in-between the shimmering beacons. The little streets were deserted. Even with the light sources, on a night such as this, the Fire Nation gave off a disconcerting sense of fear. Perhaps it seemed that way because this nation once dwelt in danger. Once again she shivered underneath her coat.

She turned away from it and gazed at the slope ahead of her. It wasn't too pretty to look at from such a close distance. The scene became softer as her eyes traveled upwards. The mountains seemed to stretch on forever, or they could just be combining with the dark sky. Either way, it seemed pretty to her, even if she couldn't truly see it. Slowly, she turned away from the scene, and headed back toward the palace. She had no reason to go back to the prison, and she was tired.

Time had escaped her, but she knew it was late, her eyes felt it. She was back at the palace doors in no time at all. Unlike last time, two guards were stationed at the door. Both wide awake. What a surprise. The two men looked up at her and recognized her immediately. After all, for the past three years, she'd spent a lot of time here. Without a word, one of the guards pushed opened the oversized door. She quickly walked past them, staying silent herself. Relief washed over her when they did not inquire to why she had been out at such a late hour.

Astonishingly enough, she was able to find her room without much trouble. It only took her three years. After a quick change out of her cloths, she climbed into the large, overstuffed bed. It was one thing she truly liked about this place. Her heart suddenly sank. Now that her relationship with Aang was over, she had no reason to stay. She did miss her home, along with her brother and father. As odd as it may seem, the Fire Nation seemed like her home, too. She started to think about what all she did love about this place.

She loved talking with Zuko, even though he rarely had the time. He had become a very close friend. His uncle was sweet as well, and he makes the best tea ever. However, those reasons were not good enough to keep her away from her home. Besides, her father would be delighted to have her back at the village. She tossed and turned in her bed as those thoughts raced through her head. Despite her discomforts, she soon drifted off into a well-needed sleep.

**xXx The Next Day xXx**

The bright light of morning rudely woke her up, and she groaned as she grudgingly sat up. As she looked at her window in disgust, she rubbed her heavy eyes. She lazily went through her daily routine, not looking forward to the day that lay ahead of her. Before she left her room, she grabbed her coat, even though it was bright and sunny outside. The halls around her were vacant once more. A sad sigh from her filled the hallway. She had to make arrangements to go home. She had to find Zuko. It didn't take her long to find a guard.

"Do you know where I can find Zu- Fire Lord Zuko?" The guards would always look at her oddly if she referred to him only as "Zuko."

Still, the man gave her an odd look, "He _might _still be in his quarters..."

He said nothing more. That always got on her nerves. They certainly weren't the most talkative bunch. So she went on her way, and she could fell the guard's stare. It was almost as if he didn't trust her. Perhaps all guards just gave off that vibe. No matter the case, it was annoying. She walked away quickly, wanting to get away from the guard and to find Zuko. His room wasn't hard to find. Out of all the huge doors in this place, the doors to his room were the biggest and most decorated. She had to pound her small fist on the door so it made an audible knock. She began to think he wasn't inside, but she was proved wrong.

"Enter."

She pushed open the door without hesitation, "Zuko?"

He was in the process of rising from his chair and smiled slightly when he saw that it was her, "Good morning."

She gave him an odd look, his smile seemed sad even though his greeting was cheery, "Is something wrong, Zuko?"

"...No, is there something you need?" He moved away from the chair and the papers that were scattered in front of him.

Quickly, she made her way to him and snuck a peek at the pile of papers. She recognized the maps and various other papers instantly. He was looking for his mother again. Suddenly, she remembered what Ozai had said to her, that he didn't know where Zuko's mother was. Faintly, she wondered if Ozai was telling the truth, or if it was just another lie. Her problems seemed to vanish. Zuko had been searching for his mother for years. All of his searches had led him to endless dead-ends. That must be torture for him.

"Katara?"

She jumped as Zuko's voice brought her out of her thoughts, "What?"

"Do you need something?"

She slightly blushed, "Oh, yes. Well, I've decided to go home... after what happened with Aang, I think it would best if I went home. For now."

A sad understanding crossed his face, "Of course. I'll have something arranged for you. Though, I don't think anything is going out to the Water Tribe until tomorrow. Is that okay?"

She forced a smile, "Yeah... are you sure you're all right?"

She could tell that he was forcing a smile as well, "Yes, I... no, not really." He sat down and rubbed his head in defeat.

Gingerly, she sat down beside him and placed a hand on his shoulder, "You'll find her, Zuko. She has to be somewhere."

Without warning, he hastily began gathering up the papers in front of him. Almost as if he didn't want her to see, "It doesn't seem that way." His voice seemed so distant and desperate that it broke her heart.

"Zuko..."

Suddenly, he stood up, "I have a lot of work to do today, so..."

"Right." She raised and walked to the door with him.

As they prepared to go their separate ways Zuko spoke up again, "Katara, just try to stay away from Aang today, if you can."

"I know." quickly, she wrapped her arms around him, not sure if she would see him again before she left. Lightly, he hugged her back, but it didn't last long. She pushed herself away from him, "Bye, Zuko."

He smiled at her, with a real smile this time, "Just because things with you and Aang are bad, it doesn't mean you have to stay away. You'll come visit, won't you?"

"Of course I will."

"Until next time, then." He gave a small nod and walked away from her.

After he disappeared from sight, she leaned against a wall, deep in thought. Her mind was spinning. Hastily, she made the decision that she had one more thing to do before she left.

**xXx Later that Day xXx**

She slightly smiled at the scene in front of her; the guards stationed at the prison entrance were asleep. The doors weren't as difficult to open this time, but it still emitted a melancholy groan. The same depressed sigh echoed off the walls as they closed. Nervously, she looked around her, since the echo seemed to be more than audible enough to alert someone. Water dripped from the ceiling and ran down the stone walls, even though it had long since stopped raining. Torches dimly lit the way down the long corridor. They flickered occasionally when droplets of water fell against the flame.

With any luck, she would be able to find her way again. Slowly, she trekked down the stone hallway, blindly taking turn after turn. She kept close to the wall, being afraid that someone would see her. A little chair came into view, with a sleeping man on it. By now, she would be surprised to see one awake. She peeked through the opening in the door that was beside him, hoping she was in the right place. Like last time she couldn't see much, but she didn't need the visual for her thoughts to be confirmed.

"Waterbender?" A dull voice bounced to her ears.

She frowned, "I told you, my name is Katara."

He stayed silent for a moment, "... So, is there a reason why you're here, or did you accidentally find your way here again?" His voice seemed so calm yet so contradicting.

Her fingers tapped nervously on the door before she pushed away from it. She looked at the man sleeping soundly on the chair and found what she was looking for. Slowly, she bent down beside him and carefully took the keys that were dangling at his waist. The golden keys didn't shimmer the least bit. They were old and rusted. She ran her fingers over each key, wondering which one opened the door beside her. With a deep breath, she pushed the newest looking key into the rusted key whole.

The key barely turned; it wasn't the right one. She moved onto the next one, picking it at random. She pulled on the door and it slowly opened with a groan of protest. She saw Ozai's head rise up as she walked through the door. She took off her coat, placed it on the ground, and sat down. She placed her hands on the metal bars and glared intensely at Ozai's shadowy figure.

"The guards won't be too happy if they find you in here...it won't make you look good."

"I know that...but I have a question."

She saw his form shift slightly, "Since you're friends with my traitorous son, I can easily guess what your question is. I don't know where his mother is."

"That's not my question. I don't believe you have absolutely no idea where she is, so I want to know why you won't tell him... If you know exactly where she is, why won't you tell? He is still your son."

She moved back a little as he got up and sat in front of her, "I don't think you know how things work in the Fire Nation. it's not like the Water Tribe. He's a traitorous and weak son. He is nothing to me. Perhaps being proud of a failure is acceptable in the Water Tribe... I don't know where his mother is, but you're right, if I knew where she was, I wouldn't tell him…. In my opinion, she's dead."

"Zuko is not a failure and he is not weak. He's a great man," she took a deep breath, "you're the one that's weak, Zuko was brave enough to stop the fighting." She regretted what she said even before she had finished.

Ozai grabbed the collar of her top and pulled her closer to the bars, "Do you think it's wise to say that?"

She managed to jerk herself away from him with some difficulty, "You can't do anything to me, you can't even firebend." she stormed out of the cell without another word.

She made her way back to the palace, in a complete fog, ignoring everything around her.

* * *

**Love, hugs, and fireflakes to all who review!**


	4. The Departure

**xXx Chapter 4 xXx**

**xXx The Departure xXx**

Katara gave one last look to her bedroom, to her home away from home. With a heavy heart, she made her way out of the palace, not stopping once. Forcibly, she kept walking, not daring to glance back at the Fire Nation Palace. Night had come all too quickly, and somehow, she had spent the entire day packing. Her journey was silent and lonely as she got to the zigzag path that ran down the mountain side. Her mind wondered back to the invasion they had on Day of Black Sun. It was just as long and tedious as last time. Time passed slowly but she finally arrived at the docks. Tiny boats bobbed on the waters by the shore. These boats were mere shadows against the threatening vessels of the war days.

"Miss Katara?" A cheerful and friendly voice brought her eyes away from the waters.

"Yes?" She forced a grin at the man with the broad smile.

The man's smile was genuine and sincere, "I'll be taking you to the Southern Water Tribe. It won't take too incredibly ling, but it will be a bit cramped. Some supplies are coming with us." The man let out a hardy laugh. He turned back to the boat and gave the order for some of the men to gather her bags.

Deciding it would be too late to go back, she dared a glance at what she was leaving behind. She could not see the palace, but it was enough to know that it was there. She certainly did not think leaving this formally dreadful place would be so difficult. She did long for her real home though. Her hand reached out to gingerly touch her mother's necklace, but she was interrupted.

"Katara?"

She flinched at the familiar, yet melancholy voice, "Aang?" The sadness she felt overpowered the surprise and it was evident by her expression.

"You're leaving..." Sadness dwelled in his voice and appearance.

She tried to keep a strong face, "Of course I am, what did you expect?" She tried to turn away, but he caught her wrist in his hand.

"Katara, you can't leave. I'm sorry."

Tears came to her eyes as she saw the boy she fell in love with. The eyes she looked into were the ones she saw after the end of the war. For the first time in forever, she saw the boy she had traveled the world with.

His distressed voice changed to a calm and sincere one, "I still love you, Katara."

She blinked away the tears in her eyes. She could not let his change of heart affect her decision. Last night she had thought for hours about today, about leaving. She had sworn that no matter what, she would leave this island and Aang. The only obstacle in the way was to convince Aang that she needed to leave. She had an uneasy feeling, one that told her she would need to lie.

"Aang, I still care about you and I want to be with you... I just think we need some time apart..." Her voice trailed off as she saw the look of disappointment in his eyes. She did still care about him, but it just didn't seem the same as it was three years ago.

She took his hand in hers as tears ran down her checks, "I'll write you, this won't end here. I just need time."

One of his cute childlike smiles made an appearance, "I love you Katara, and I'll do whatever you think is best." He gave her a quick peck on the check before flying away on his glider.

The smile she had forced soon faded. She felt horrible since half of it was a lie. During the war, she loved Aang, and he loved her. Many things changed after the war, but they were certain that their love would last. She had no doubt in her mind that she would continue to love him. Some things from the war were just meant to dwell in the past, and it hurt her to admit that their love might be one of those things.

She let out a stressed sigh and placed her hand back on her neck. Her eyes widened in shock; her mother's necklace was gone. In a panic, she ran across the dock until a wooden crate blocked her way. Unable to stop herself, she slammed into it and fell to her knees. More tears ran down her already flushed checks. She searched her mind frantically as she tried to think of where it might be. She had completely cleared her room, making sure she had everything. If it was in her room, she would have seen it.

Her breathing quickened as she thought of her next move. The boat was scheduled to leave any minute. She would not have time to go to the palace and search for it, and make it back to the boat. She forced herself up and prepared herself for the trek back up the mountain side. Even though another boat for the Water Tribe wouldn't leave for another two weeks, she knew her mother's necklace was worth the wait. As soon as pushed herself off the crate, she was immediately pulled back.

An unbelievable strong arm wrapped itself around her waist and arms, trapping her against what she assumed was an equally strong chest. She struggled vainly against the iron hold, she kicked her legs behind her, but it was no good. She prepared to waterbend the stranger away, but a voice came, and it was no longer that of a stranger. The voice was that of Ozai's.

"Quiet, Water Tribe girl." The low voice rumbled by her ear and made her cease her struggling.

"What...?" She blinked away the stupidity of her own question. She moved her hand slightly, attempting to attack, but she was stopped once again.

Her mother's necklace suddenly appeared in front of her face. Her mind instantly flashed back to the night Zuko had kidnapped her, when he had her necklace. This was unbelievable, like father like son. Not only was this situation bad, it had turned slightly creepy. She wondered if he really knew the importance of necklace, or if he had just taken it on a lucky guess.

"You really should be more careful where you leave things, waterbender." The prison keys fell beside the necklace, and they both clanked and twinkled in the starlight.

Her eyes narrowed, "Perhaps you should be more careful as to not take things that don't belong to you." She could feel the vibration of laughter in his chest.

Suddenly, he changed topic, "Going home are you, little Waterbender?"

She completely ignored his question, "Let me go."

"Or you'll do what? Get the Avatar to help you? Your relationship doesn't seem to be going so well." She felt another vibration of laughter.

Her face flared in anger, "I don't need Aang to beat someone like you."

Her hand jerked forward and she snatched her necklace, letting the keys drop to the floor with a ping. Instead of waterbending, she somehow managed to wiggle free from his grip, but she didn't stay free long. A painful grip crushed her shoulder and she was thrown against the crate. His forearm laid across her chest, making it hard for her to breathe. She tried to move away but was shocked when she realized that he had her suspended in the air. This time, she decided to waterbend her way out. Water, that quickly turned to frozen shards, hovered dangerously around her and Ozai. For the first time since their encounter, she could see his face. His cold golden eyes glared down at her, they looked unafraid and even bored.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you, Waterbender."

The icy shards inched closer, " Why not?" Her voice was slightly mocking.

"...You can, but you might not see your brother again." His expression and voice stayed steady.

"What?" in her surprise, the daggers turned to water and splashed down around them. "I don't believe you." She tried desperately to keep her voice strong. Her eyes narrowed, "There's no way you could get to him."

He raised an eyebrow, "Are you really that naive? Do you honestly think that I have no supporters, that everyone loves the world my foolish son has created?"

A few moments of silence passed, "What do you want? I'm assuming that you want something, right?"

"Very good, Waterbender," his voice picked up slightly from the sarcasm, "I need to find something, and I need someone like you with me when I get it." His voice changed back to a low-pitched whisper.

She gave him a 'you're crazy' look before asking the obvious, "What do you need to find?" She watched him closely.

"That is for me to know."

Her eyes narrowed, "Why me? Do you need a Waterbender?"

A smirked tugged at his lips, "No, not a Waterbender, just someone like you."

She let out an annoyed sigh, "Why me, if not for my waterbending?"

"I told you that you don't need to know anything. You just need to do as I say." a corner of his mouth tugged up again, "Before you get any foolish ideas, I should warn you to not reveal me. If I were to end up back in a cell, your brother would be killed before anyone could find him."

"I don't believe you." she saw an eyebrow raise, "If you have all these people at your disposal, then why didn't you use them to get yourself out of prison?"

"I have been waiting for the right moment. Others have been searching for what I need on my behalf. The search has been going on for nearly three years, and nothing has been found. If I had left that place, I could have been found in the amount of time this search has taken. You were a nice change to my planes, though. I was beginning to grow impatient." He clearly looked annoyed at how much he was explaining.

"I still don't understand why you need me." She blurted it out before she could stop herself.

He pressed his arm harder on her already sore chest, she could hear the wood cracking behind her, "I don't like to repeat myself." She grabbed his arm and tried to pry it away, but to no avail.

She was slightly surprised to see him close his eyes and take a deep breath, as if calming himself, "You'll get on the boat and act as if nothing is wrong, do you understand?"

Regrettably, she nodded her head in confirmation. He jerked his arm away, not bothering in the least bit to be gentle; it caused her to stumble when she hit the ground. Much to her relief, she managed to catch herself before she fell on Ozai. That was certainly an awkward moment she didn't need. Without looking at him, she quickly abandoned the cluster of crates. She gathered her composure as she walked to the boat, just as the captain approached her.

"Are you ready to head off?" He was just as friendly as before.

She gulped back her fear and forced a smile, "Yes."

"Alright, go ahead and board, we'll set off shortly." He walked away to help with the last bit of loading.

Once she was on board, she looked around. There wasn't much to see, beside the random clusters of crates, "Miss."

"Yes, um, am I in the way?"

"In the way, no, but I was going to show to your room." She nodded and fallowed him below the deck.

She frowned slightly when she saw her room, it was extremely small. She let out a sigh before she decided that it didn't matter. The man gave her a cheery farewell before going on his way. In defeat, she flopped down on her bed. She couldn't believe the mess she was in, not that she knew much about it. She did feel a bit bad for underestimating Sokka, after all, he was a warrior. She didn't want to risk it, though. She suddenly remembered her necklace and went to put it on, only to notice that she did not have it. Ozai must have taken it back, at least she hoped he did. It would kill her if she had dropped it on the dock.

She turned on her side as she felt the boat start to move out to sea. The gentle swaying of the boat felt calming after her hectic day, it even started to lull her to sleep. Her peace didn't last long. Sounds of a struggle and water splashing brought her back to reality. She sprang from her bed and dashed out the door. As she went above to the deck, her pace slowed. She ducked behind a crate and looked around the deck. Confusion stuck her as she saw no one.

"You're not being very stealthy."

She spun around before he had even finished speaking, "Where is everyone?"

She suddenly remembered the splashing sounds she heard earlier. She ran to the side of the boat and looked into the dark waters. She started to pull the water toward her but she was pulled away from the edge.

"Trust me, little girl, there's nothing for you to bring back."

He turned away from her and she caught a glimpse of a blade. Unlike the tide of the ocean, this made her stomach turn. She leaned against a nearby crate and slowly slid down to the ground. In the course of a couple of minutes, she had indirectly been responsible for the deaths of at least two men. She dared not to think about what might lay ahead tomorrow, or even later tonight.

* * *

**Love, hugs, and fireflakes to all who review!**


	5. The Scheme Finally Revealed

**xXx Chapter 5 xXx**

**xXx The Scheme Finally Revealed xXx**

The moonlight that rained down from the cloudy sky washed over the ocean and the boat that sailed on it. Katara still sat against the crate with her knees drawn up to her chest and her chin resting on them. At first, the swaying of the boat had given some comfort, but that was not the case now. Cold wind blew all around her and the ocean seemed a little angry. Sounds of water crashing against the boat were the only sounds she heard. Crashing of water- her mind kept wondering back to the nice captain that was thrown overboard, probably already dead. For the tenth time that night, she had to push the thoughts of that poor man away from her.

She cast her gaze up to the stars, and managed to get lost in their beauty. Away from all her troubles. The sound of her grumbling stomach broke the momentary peace. With a heavy sigh she pushed herself up from the cool floor and started to head for the door that lead below the ship. She paused for only a moment, wondering where Ozai was before deciding that he was probably stirring the ship. The metal door squeaked slightly as she opened it but not loudly enough for anyone to hear, particularly Ozai. She gave one last glance to the sky; the stars that were there had now vanished behind a black veil of clouds.

It didn't take her long to find food, but as she opened the crate, guilt crept up on her. This food was meant to go to her village, but they certainly would not be getting it now. She let out a sad sigh and pushed her misplaced guilt away. They would survive. Even when times were hard, no one ever starved. She tore away the packaging of the first thing she plucked from the crate. It was just a simple piece of bread, but she ate it regardless.

Suddenly, her body jerked to the side, and she fell to the cold floor beneath her. She struggled to stand as the ship vehemently rocked back and forth. Like a rag-doll, she was thrown against the walls and crates while she tried to make her way back to the door.

She struggled to open the door. It felt like something heavy was weighing it down, so she pushed her body against it and it finally opened. A huge gust of wind sent her stumbling back, and she could feel cold needles of rain attack her skin. Blindly, she moved forward until she could lean against the frame of the door. Through the stinging rain, she managed to open her eyes to the dangerously dark sky and violent waves. After taking a deep breath, she made a dash for the control room, where she thought Ozai was. She was more than a little confused when she found the room empty. Fear zapped through her. Ozai wasn't in there and the deck appeared to be void of any life. Then confusion came, why did she care? That feeling of fear must have been completely random...nevertheless, she went back outside to look for him.

As soon as she was outside, the wind, with the help of the lopsided ship, sent her to the side of the ship. She used the railing to drag herself up, and was leaning over the side when she saw something in the water. Her eyes squinted through the darkness until she was able to see that it was someone. Without any hesitation, she summoned all her will and power to carry the person to the ship. Immediately, she kneeled and put a hand on the person's shoulder, but instantly pulled back as if the touch had been toxic.

Ozai slowly sat up, running a hand through his wet hair, pulling it away from his face. He rose without giving her a single glance. That was kind of irritating. She had just saved his life! She frowned. She had just saved his life... The wind still roared over the ship, and she could barely hear Ozai when he talked.

"I didn't expect you to save me, peasant girl." He was looking at her now, with cold eyes and a mocking smirk. She could only hope that he was only standing so close so that she could hear him.

She gave him a glare at hearing her unwanted nickname, "...I didn't know it was you." She frowned at the harshness of her own words. Her voice then trailed off slightly, "Besides, I can't work the ship." She began to regret turning Sokka down all those times he offered to teach her.

A dark chuckle whispered through the air, "Who else would it be...? You would pull a stranger out of the water?" His voice turned mocking again, "If I had been a stranger, I could have been dangerous." He had heard her remark about the ship, but decided not to give a snide remark.

She gave him an odd look, "Yes, I would, and not everyone is out to kill people." She decided not say that he himself was dangerous, with or without firebending.

She watched him nervously as his smirk morphed into a frown. His hallow eyes stared down at her, which only made her more uncomfortable. She heard him grumble something about 'peasant girl,' as he reached into his robe and threw whatever he had pulled out on the floor. A necklace, her necklace, pinged on the metal floor. She plucked it up quickly and hugged it to her chest. Out of the corner of her eye, see saw Ozai walk away and could hear his footsteps growing fainter.

"Why are you giving this back to me?" The question came out naturally, but soon after it felt like an odd and dense one.

At first she thought that he was too far away to hear her since he did not answer right away, "Would you like me to take it back?" His voice was faint and distant, but still held all its power.

Neither one glanced back at the other.

Before she knew it, she was alone again. Softly, she traced the outline of the necklace before putting it back in its rightful place. It was cold from the ocean water, but it didn't seem to faze her. She sighed...that seemed to be becoming a habit. She knew he would never say it, but giving her back the necklace must have been payment for saving his life. It was certainly more than she ever expected of him.

**xXx Ozai xXx**

Once again, he ran his fingers through his ebony hair. The faint reflection from the window in front of him revealed his hair to be down to his lower back and it was horribly damaged. His beard was messy as well. After frowning at his image he took out his knife and cut off half the length of his hair. The rest would have to wait until later. He put his hand back down to the wheel of the ship and gripped it tightly in aggravation. That little storm had blown them further out to sea. He rubbed the temples of his head, not having much of any idea as to where exactly they were. The sky was still darkened by clouds so he couldn't see the stars. He wouldn't be able to navigate his way out of this mess that way. He groaned in frustration as he stared up at the sky that refused to bend to his will. He began to wish he had spent more military time away from home like his brother. If he had, he might know of another way to get back on track.

He cast his current problems aside and focused on his plan. Not his, not really. It was his grandfather's plan. While he searched for the Avatar, he was also looking for something else. Something to beat the Avatar. It was all part of an old myth, but his grandfather believed in it as much as he believed that the Avatar was still alive in this world. And he had been right about that. The problem that was presented to him was the fact that Azulon had told very few people about this. He claimed that in one part of the myth that the Avatar was not aware of the power that could destroy him, and he did not want to risk such information being learned.

Much of the legend had died with him, and he had destroyed almost all the written evidence since he had it memorized. It had only been passed down to a few Fire Nation elders through the years, and thankfully those few had remained loyal to him after his fall. Though they weren't much help since they knew very little. What they had told him was little more than the story of the power itself. Like everyone knew, the Avatar had been created to keep balance in the world, but in the beginning it was feared that the person bestowed with that power might faultier. The story said that there was a physical item created as a safeguard against the Avatar's power.

With time, the legends died as Avatar after Avatar proved to be trustworthy and good. He, as well as his father and grandfather, had a few select people looking for it. But it had been as difficult as finding the Avatar, the only difference being was that the item was not found. He had only started to worry about the Avatar when he appeared before the relic. The mystery item was never described, but there was a verse that spoke about its location. It was one of the only clues he had about it. He closed his eyes as he recalled the four lines that he and his fathers before him had memorized.

_The water that sings beneath_

_the earth that guards as a fortress_

_the fire that flows through the rocks_

_the air that leaves you thin. _

It all seemed so childish and foolish to him. The people he entrusted this information with insisted that it revealed the items location. _The water that sings beneath _meant a waterfall. The _earth fortress _a mountain or volcano. _The flowing fire _refereed back to the volcano. _The thin air, _meaning that air was scarce. It sounded odd to him, but so is someone who can bend all the elements. It was very possible that such a powerful item would be hidden in an odd and rare place. Underground oases adjacent to volcanoes were the closest things found. He knew he would find it now that he was looking for it himself.

There was a reason for needing the girl... No, not her, just someone close to the Avatar. Someone who could get him close to Aang once he had the relic. It would be best to do this quietly, and the easiest way to do that was through a friend. Someone he trusted and loved. She would also be helpful to have around, since he couldn't firebend.

**xXx Katara xXx**

The dull metal tiles of the ceiling didn't make a very pleasant sight, but she was too tired to go back up so she could look at the sky. For a while now, she had been sitting in her room, staring at random things. Her hand would periodically go up to her necklace, just to make sure it was there. She began to toss and turn restlessly; she had nothing to do and had never felt so out of place. Suddenly, she sprang up, went to a desk and took out paper and ink. No time was wasted writing her letter.

_Grangran, _

_I know I wrote to you earlier saying that I'm coming home, but I won't be. Something has come up, but I'm fine. I'll come home as soon as I can, but I can't say when that will be. It might be a long time. I'll write you when I can, I promise. I send my love to you and Dad. Sokka, too. _

_~Katara. _

She looked at the crisp piece of parchment and frowned at Sokka's name. Wherever he was, she had to believe that he was okay. Sokka could take care of himself. He knew how to survive. Her frown deepened, having no idea how she was going to get this to the Southern Water tribe. There was no way of sending it from the ship since she saw no messenger hawks onboard. Finding one on the mainland would be simple, but she wasn't sure if Ozai would let her out of his sight.

Carefully, she folded the paper once and stuck it in her pocket. Feeling her random exhaustion set in, she flopped down on her bed which made the springs jab painfully into her stomach. She groaned and rolled over, and the bed made a creaking sound while the springs continued to jab at her. Despite her discomforts she managed to fall asleep.

**xXx The Next Day xXx**

_Bang, bang. _

She jerked up to a sitting potion in her bed and she stared blankly at her dark room, but she fell back down when dizziness washed over her. Lazily, she brought her hands up to her eyes and tried to wipe some of the sleepiness away. She soon gave up on that effort and was ready to drift off when the banging sound echoed through her room again, this time louder. Letting out a groan, she pushed herself up from the bed and made her way to the door slowly. She had her hand on the handle when the door flung open and promptly hit her in the face, making her fall down to the floor in a gasp of pain.

"Oww!" She clasped her hand over her face and peeked through her fingers to see Ozai glaring down at her.

She returned the gesture as he continued to look at her as if she had done something wrong, "What are you glaring so angrily at? I'm the one that got hit with the _metal _door!"

His eyes narrowed, "Get up, were not far from the mainland." He turned and walked away from her.

She scrambled to her feet and hurried after him, "Wait, what are you talking about? We should be only half way there."

He stopped without warning and Katara barely managed to stop in enough time to keep from crashing into him. She gave a sigh of relief but when Ozai turned around his broad shoulder hit her and made her stumble away. She mentally kicked herself for this and every other embarrassing moment she knew would have around him. Stuff like this didn't happen to her, she didn't make a fool out of herself every five minutes. She looked up at him, determined not to falter, but she felt the blush warm her checks.

He glanced down at his shoulder and smoothed out the dark fabric, even though she couldn't see where it had wrinkled. She noticed something different about his cloths, actually, about his whole appearance. He wasn't wearing the normal prison cloths, but now he had on a Fire Nation's soldier's uniform. Without the armor. A red top with black pants and boots. His hair and beard were back to its normal length. The Fact that she was with the former Fire Lord hit her all over again.

"The storm pushed us closer..." he raised an eyebrow, "for what reason are you staring at me?" He spoke as if her staring had been a personal insult.

She jumped is surprise, realizing that she been staring and hadn't heard half of what he had just said. After a few moments of her not saying anything, Ozai turned away and continued walking. She followed silently behind him. The sunlight that shone through the open door didn't hit her until Ozai had stepped completely outside, then it nearly blinded her. She had to blink a few times until she could see clearly.

She blinked again, this time in disbelief since she could already see the mainland. The fresh sea air filled her lungs as she leaned against the ship's railing. She starred at the land in front of her, clustered with Earth Kingdom houses. Suddenly an image of the Fire Nation crest replacing the Earth Kingdom ones flashed before her eyes. The familiar picture of this seized village only lasted a few seconds, but it was enough to set her on edge.

* * *

**Love, hugs, and fireflakes to all who review!**


	6. The New Arrivals

**xXx Chapter 6 xXx**

**xXx The New Arrivals xXx**

Katara kneeled down and rested her head on the hot metal of the ship's railing. A sickening feeling engulfed her as she thought about her horrible image, and then she heard a door opening and closing. She dragged her eyes up and squinted through the sunlight to see a cloaked figure. It was dark brown with an amazing green pattern around the rim of the sleeves, the hood, and along the bottom. She could also see little red dots that were placed perfectly within the runic looking designs. Slowly, she rose, keeping her eyes on whom she assumed to be Ozai.

"Gather your things, bring only what you need, we won't be returning to the ship." Ozai, the cloaked figure, passed her, saying nothing else.

She frowned, and wanted to criticize him for not telling her this before she came all the way up here. It was like he was trying to annoy her in any way he could. That's not childish at all. As quickly as she could, she gathered up her things, making sure to pack food and water. When she opened the door to leave, she suddenly stopped and ran back to the desk, snatching up some parchment and ink. If she ever needed to write to Grangran again, she could. As she exited the room, she slowed her pace. She would make him wait for her; two could play at this game.

When she got back outside, the ship was already docked and Ozai was already off the ship. She peered over the side of the ship, searching for a way down, but she saw none. She threw her bag overboard, and hoped the ink bottle didn't break. A frown tugged at her lips as she gripped the railing and leapt over it so she was dangling on the other side. She took a deep breath and released her grip. She was prepared to land in a crouching potion, but her feet slipped out from under her and she promptly landed on her backside. She heard Ozai chuckle softly as she let out a groan and rubbed her sore head, which was also hit. Dizzily, she stood and grabbed her bag from the floor.

"How did you get down here?" She glared at the back of his raven clad head.

He gave another dark laugh, "Perhaps you won't keep me waiting next time, peasant girl."

Her cheeks flared, "I have a name you know, and it's not 'peasant girl'," She silently prayed that he would stop doing that like Zuko did.

He ignored her and walked toward the little town, "If you need to buy anything, you should do it now," he turned to face her, and she could tell that he was glaring even though most of his face was hidden, "do not wander far; I hope you're not foolish enough to try escaping." He turned and left without waiting for her reply.

She had all the food and water she needed, all she could carry anyway. So she walked around the little town until she found what she really needed. A mail house with dozens of beautiful messenger hawks came into view. She looked side to side cautiously, searching for any sign of Ozai before she approached the man that was standing behind a counter.

"May I help you?" The man gave her a small smile.

She pulled out her letter, "Yes, I need to send a letter to the Southern Water Tribe," She handed him the letter and some copper pieces.

She watched as the man put her letter in the canister that was strapped to the hawks back. The crimson bird let out a screech before flapping its large wings and taking to the air. She heard a 'thank you ma'am' but her stare was still fixated on the sky, watching the bird grow fainter and fainter. Her gaze was broken when a hand gripped her arm and jerked her away. The hand slid down to her wrist and dragged her away from the town of many curious glances. By now, she had recognized the person as Ozai, and she felt an uneasiness creep up on her.

He stopped once they were alone and turned so he was facing her, "What were you doing?"

She shrank back, hearing the power and anger in his deep voice, "I was sending a letter..." Her words failed her. His threatening voice still rang through her ears.

"I could see that much."

She winced in pain as his grip tightened, "It's not what you think..."

He cut her off, "Really?" He jerked on her wrist, making her stumble toward him, but she managed to guard her body with her free arm before she slammed against his chest. Since she was now so close, she could see his topaz eyes and the anger that flamed in them.

She tried to keep her voice calm through the fear, "It was just a letter to my grandmother, telling her I wouldn't be coming home like I told her I was going to do," she took a deep breath, "if I were to randomly not show up, she would tell someone, but now she won't be surprised when I don't return home." Throughout her whole explanation, his hold became tighter and tighter.

"I doubt that was your initial intension." He spoke his words with a slow danger to them, but his grip did loosen slightly.

"I didn't tell her anything... I think she would die of a heart attack if I told her the truth." she squirmed, the day was hot, and he practically radiated heat. Maybe that was a Firebender thing. No, she was sure of it.

He flung her hand away and turned to the five men that had suddenly appeared behind him. He motioned for them to follow when he passed them, he probably didn't want her to hear their conversation. Of course, that only made her want to listen more. As all five men kneeled and bowed before him, she rolled her eyes and stifled a sigh. The pain in her wrist made its annoying presence, and she pulled her armband away only to gasp at the mark his hand had left behind. She grimaced, knowing that it would undoubtedly bruise.

After pulling her armband back down and placing her hand at her side, she tried to move closer to the six men. Ozai had his back to her, and the others, who were still knelling, were too focused on the former Fire Lord to notice her. Once she was able to hear them, even though she couldn't hear them very well, she stopped.

She was able to catch what Ozai was saying mid-sentence, "and the boy?"

"We still have him, though he has proven to be quite difficult."

A harshness tainted his voice, "Is this a problem you cannot handle?"

Katara saw the hesitance in all five of the men, until one answered, "No, my Lord, it is nothing we cannot handle."

Ozai continued to walk and two of the five men followed him. She stared blankly after them as they moved further away from her. Suddenly, Ozai stopped, he glanced back at her and motioned for her to follow. She rushed after them and was slightly confused when they entered a thick forest, but she kept her questions to herself. After a while of trekking through all the roots and vines, Katara started to pull ahead, stopping only when someone told her she was going the wrong way. She would often sigh in impatience since Sokka could get them to wherever they were going in no time at all.

As the others struggled through the rough terrain, she tried to suppress her laughter, but little giggles would escape her every now and then. She began to feel pity for Ozai since he seemed to be struggling the most, though he wasn't complaining like the other two. All those years locked away in his palace wouldn't help him navigate through these woods. She fell back so she was walking beside him, though he didn't acknowledge her presence. She held her breath to keep from laughing as she heard him swearing under his breath.

Soon she grew bored of watching him and looked at the beautiful wall of trees around her. Birds would glide from branch to branch while singing their songs. Even though the scene was wondrous, she couldn't help but fell a bit uneasy, as if something dangerous lurked in the trees. Nothing threatening had made an appearance...yet.

_Crack!_

Katara eyes snapped down to look at Ozai, and she saw that his foot had punched through a week pile of dead wood. His hand gripped at a nearby vine and he tried to pull himself up, but he only slipped further into the gape in the ground. She saw that the two men were rushing back to him but she already had a hand on his arm and was helping him up. To be fair, all she did was hold him steady on the uneven ground while he used his own strength to free himself. She was surprised when he didn't jerk his arm away once he regained his composure. She did, however, pull away on her own when an angry voice pierced her ears.

"How dare you touch him, you filthy Waterbender trash!" One of the men approached her and jerked her further away from Ozai.

She felt a stab of pain go through her heart, "...What!" She chocked on her words as the angry, yet creepy outburst, replayed through her mind.

She yanked herself away from the man and took her original position ahead of the group and tried to blink the angry tears away from her eyes. Her heart pounded in her ears furiously as her pace increased. She only became more annoyed as she heard the two men mutter insults about her as well as her culture. Soon, she had pulled so far ahead from the others that she had to stop and wait, and hope that she had gone the right way. At least she couldn't hear their remarks anymore.

As she waited a sharp squeak broke through the mellow sound of the birds chirping and made her jerk her head up. She spun around, ready to attack, when a baby Saber-tooth Moose-Lion came into view. It stopped a few feet away from her and looked frantically in every direction. She smiled slightly, remembering Sokka's story of Foo Foo Cuddlypuffs. Her smile faded as a fireball came hurtling toward the cute animal. Without hesitation, she made a wall of water between it and the fire. She smiled hopefully as the fire disappeared and she then moved calmly to the Saber-tooth's side.

It looked up at her fearfully, but it soon relaxed and rubbed its head playfully against her hand. The sound of boots scraping against the ground brought her head up to see the two men running her way. She felt the Saber-tooth jerk away and saw it run deeper into the forest. As they approached her, she crossed her arms over her chest, waiting for another insult. Instead a fireball came at her, and even though she was caught off-guard, she managed to summon up another wall of water. She stumbled back slightly but was still prepared to attack.

"Stupid girl, you let it get away! That _thing _bit my leg!" The man appeared as if he was going to throw fire at her again.

She did not back down, "Oh, and I'm sure you did nothing to upset it!"

The man pulled back his fist to attack, but it was caught midair, "Lee, what do you think you are doing?" Ozai's voice boomed over the slightly smaller man.

The man attempted to bow down, but Ozai's grip wouldn't allow him to do so, "I... I apologize, my Lord."

"I asked you what you were doing."

The man hesitated, confusion written all over his face, "She protected the... the thing, she let it get away."

Ozai released the man's arm, and he fell to the ground in a bow as Ozai spoke, which was too much of a whisper for Katara to hear, "You will not harm her, you are not to touch her," he spoke his words very slowly. The man looked up at him with disbelief, but slowly nodded his head.

Katara didn't lower her guard, and her heart was now beating twice as hard. Her face flared as she clenched her fists, and she spun around, darting off into the woods. She ran through all the branches and vines like they weren't even there. It would take them forever to catch up with her. Once she reached a small clearing she stopped and leaned against a tree. Her heart lifted slightly when she saw the little Saber-tooth Moose-lion rolling around in the grass. She sat down and it ran excitedly around her.

Time passed and the sun was beginning to set, but she couldn't make herself be too concerned, not with the cute Saber-tooth by her side, and she could hear a nearby river. She was petting him when he suddenly froze underneath her hand. He bit the cloth of her pants and tugged before he ran off by himself. She stood to chase after him, but a voice stopped her.

"I thought I told you not to run away from me."

She squeaked and turned to face the voice, which she knew was Ozai's. All her happiness instantly disappeared when she saw his cloaked form shrouded in shadows. He stepped out of the darkness but the setting sun didn't make him look any less foreboding. When he removed his hood, she felt slightly better, until she saw the frustration that gleamed in his eyes.

She rocked back and forth nervously before speaking, "I was running away from _them_," She knew he wouldn't buy it, but she had to try something.

"There is no difference," His voice was remarkably calm, though still cold.

She cast her gaze down to her shoes, "Sorry," She mumbled her fake apology.

"Come...and next time, I would prefer you attack him, rather than running away, we've lost too much time searching for you," His voice was still as cold as ever.

She began to follow after him when a screech echoed through the air for the second time today. A wolfbat came into view and she didn't have the time to attack. All that flashed through her mind was that she now had an answer as to why the Saber-tooth ran off. The danger she had felt earlier now had its answer. By the time her mind arrived to the idea of defending herself, it was too late. The wolfbat swooped down on her and sent her to the ground. Before she even had time to catch her breath, it was jerked away from her.

Ozai was standing above her, with a large branch in hand. Quickly, she stumbled to her feet, but the wolfbat came again. Strong hands pushed down on her shoulders, which pushed her down to the ground. She unplugged the cork of her water pouch and sent ice shards at it. The wolfbat let out a cry of pain as a spike pierced its wing. She let out a sigh of relief when it flew away. The heavy hand was still on her shoulder, and she suddenly realized that she was pressed against Ozai's body. She relished in the comforting heat he gave off, and was disappointed when he finally moved away.

Shock hit her when she felt his hand clasp hers, he hoisted her up and turned away from her as if that wasn't abnormal for him. She was going to thank him, but just then, the two Fire Nation men emerged from the woods, so she kept quiet. Surly they would have something nasty to say, even to a 'thank you'. She winced in pain as she saw that she had a gash on her upper forearm.

"Do you realize how much time you've cost us, little girl? It's already dark," Lee sent her stabbing glares, but he stayed his distance.

The other man gave Lee a weary glance, "Lets just set up camp here for the night."

Katara smoothed out the fabric of her sleeping bag and stared into the fire of the fire pit. She sighed in aggravation as she saw that Ozai had a tent and the two other men had sleeping bags like her, which were positioned around the fire like hers. She stood and dragged her sleeping bag further away from the fire, she could survive the cold. She didn't lay down though, she still had to tend to her injured arm.

Even though she had her own water, she decided to go to the river she had heard earlier. Once she was there, she sat down on a rock and let her now bare feet dip in the water and pulled a long bandage and medication out of her bag. After cleaning her cut, she tried to wrap it, but she was having some difficulty. She gave a displeasing look at the loose, half-done job she made.

"You did a horrible job, I would have thought that you would know how to wrap a wound."

She didn't turn at the sound of Ozai's voice, "No, not really. Burns came up more frequently than cuts, and since I can heal that with my waterbending, we didn't really have much use for bandages. When a cut did come up, Sokka would always take care of it."

She was so caught up in her short story that she jumped in surprise when Ozai's hand gently took hold of her hurt arm. He started to wrap her arm before she had the chance to pull away. His callused hands trailed against her skin which gave a tickling sensation. She held her breath to keep from giggling and felt a slight blush creep over her checks. She dared a glance down at him, but his eyes were fixated on her arm.

His hood was down and his hair fell freely over his shoulders and brushed against the uninjured part of her arm, which just tickled more. Her blush only increased when she came to the conclusion that Aang's touch never affected her this way. It was over all too soon, for the first time in her life, she wished she had a worse injury. She instantly scolded herself for thinking that. She had always been ticklish, so this meant nothing. He pulled away from away from her, but she thought she felt some hesitation. That couldn't be right, though, could it?

As he started to walk away, she tore herself from her conflicting feelings, and focused on what was more important, "Where are we going?"

He paused and stared at her from over his shoulder, "...A nearby mountain, we'll be going underground." He said nothing more and walked away from her before she had the chance to ask any more questions.

She sighed at his vague answer and decided that she needed sleep. Even though it was near the two men that had spent the day insulting her. She made her way back to her sleeping bag and snuggled down in it, her back facing the fire. It wasn't long until she drifted off into a nightmarish sleep...

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**Love, hugs, and fireflakes to all who review!**


	7. The Volcano

**xXx Chapter 7 xXx**

**xXx The Volcano xXx**

**xXx Nightmare xXx**

The far off village from the other day laid in Katara's line of sight; it was covered in a thick fog and was under an eerie shroud of night. Despite the blanket of darkness, people were still walking around, but they did so in a depressing slump. With some hesitation, she entered the small cluster of buildings, and became engulfed in the white mist. The citizens that wandered around were barely visible through the heavy haze, and when she approached one man, he passed her as if she wasn't even there. She tried another, but got the same, or lack of, response. Soon, she gave up on trying to get some answers, and focused on the houses and shops that surrounded her.

At first, nothing seemed out of place, but then she noticed it, the symbol of the Fire Nation. They were everywhere; on the shops and the crates the stood in front of them. Her eyes widened in shock as she ran to the nearest crate. She kneeled down and ran her shaky fingers across the red symbol, as if to confirm its reality. She stared at it a moment longer before standing again, then she inhaled deeply and brushed her fingers through her hair. Then she coughed whatever she had breathed in. Once more, she took in her surroundings, and noticed the white fog had morphed into black smoke.

She let out another raged breath; this black smoke was much more irritating than the "black snow" that used to rain down on her village during a Fire Nation raid. Squinting through the darkness, she could see the fire that blazed in the forest, and it was spreading to the village. She put her focus back on the people; they were being engulfed by the smoke, and it was as if they didn't even notice the consuming flames. They stayed in their same slow place and remained silent. Deciding that screaming at them to run wouldn't do any good, she ran herself, toward the waterline. Once she was close enough, her arms lashed out in a barrage of moves that would send a wall of water crashing on the flames that lay ahead. Nothing happened. Without a single thought, she repeated the process. Still, nothing happened.

This time she paused, and turned to face the water that was giving her so much difficulty. It was there, it just wasn't obeying. She tried once more, not letting her eyes leave the water. Again, her efforts failed. To her dismay, the smoke crept past her feet and continued to the ocean ahead. She turned on her heels and came face to face with a foreboding wall of fire, instead of the wall of water she desired. Her heartbeat and breathing increased as she stumbled back into the water. Desperately, she attempted again and again to move even a bit of water. Tears filled her eyes, from the fear and the suffocating smoke. As she took another step back, water came to her waist, and a familiar, heavy hand rested on her shoulder. She turned, her heart pounding through her chest, and peered up at the hooded face. One she knew all too well.

**xXx End of Dream xXx**

She jerked up, and got tangled in the blanket of her sleeping bag. She punched around until she managed to wiggle her way out. The morning light greeted her eyes, and so too did the suspicious glares of Lee and the nameless soldier. She decided to play it cool, and calmly packed her things away. Gratefully, she saw they were doing the same thing, so they paid her little attention. Halfheartedly, she ran her finger through her hair, only to discover that it was in a tangled mess. She rummaged through her bag until she located her hairbrush, and she quickly undid her hair and ran the brush through it, but took her time re-braiding it.

By the time she had finished, Ozai had emerged from his tent, and the two men were in the process of taking it down. She wanted to talk to him again, but not in front of the two who viewed her as too unworthy to even be in his all-powerful presence. She rolled her eyes. Then rested them on Ozai. He was standing, with his back to her, looking off into the green forest. No, not the forest, he was looking at whatever plan he had laid out. Her mind flashed back to her failed dream full of smoke and fire, but she managed to push that thought away, for now. She couldn't afford to dwell on that, but as she continued to stare at him, she couldn't help but to dwell.

Was that dream from stress, or did it mean something more? There's no way Ozai could regain his powers, or the power that he held over the whole world. This was just a wild goose chase. No real harm would come of this. Once she came out of her thoughts, she realized Ozai was staring back at her, and she momentarily froze in that awkward moment. Finally, she jerked her head away, and pretended to be immensely interested in a fringed string of her bag. She frowned at her unnecessary fear.

He couldn't do anything to her... besides bruise her wrist. She gave a quick glance at her sore arm, even though she couldn't see through the armband. She obtained a small burst of courage, and decided that she could live with a few bruises. Still, she would take it one step at a time.

She stood and looked at him, and faltered only slightly when she saw that he was still staring lazily at her, "Are we leaving now?"

He remained silent for a few more moments and continued his glare, "Yes," He finally looked away and gave the order for Lee to lead the way.

Just like yesterday, their journey started out in silence, and with any luck it would remain that way. Her wish apparently came true, but soon the silence became annoying. The hours passed by as she walked between Ozai and the two men. Instead of focusing on how quiet it was, she gave her full attention to the environment. Some of the leaves were starting to change colors, but most still remained green, either from being evergreens or it being too early in the season. Regardless of their state, birds still chirped happily in them, and little creatures jumped from branch to branch. Rays from the sun shined down through the leaves, making her eyes either squint or relax.

Amongst all the natural beauty, her mind somehow managed to slip back into the dark. This particular thought centered on Sokka. She knew he would be alright, that he might even escape, but she couldn't help but worry. His experiences must not be all too pleasant. She made up her mind then and there. The next moment she was alone with Ozai, she would get some answers. Finally, the time came for a break, and she sat down on a nearby log. Ozai remained standing, again with his back to her. Her moment came long before she thought it would when the two men announced that they would gather fire wood. Her mind became jumbled for a moment; she thought she would have more time to prepare what she was going to say. She knew they wouldn't stay gone for long, though. She took a deep breath and went over to him, completely prepared for the possibility of a broken arm.

She stopped behind him, a few feet away, "Ozai?"

He gave a quick glance over his shoulder before turning around all the way, "What?"

She tried to keep her voice calm and reasonable, "What have you done with Sokka? He's not hurt, is he?"

"We've already had this discussion." His eyes narrowed.

"No, not really." Her voice still remained calm.

"I told you, it's none of your concern."

"It is too my concern." Some of her calm was overpowered by her annoyance.

"There is nothing you can do to help him, so there is no need for you to know."

"I _want _to know! I want to know that you haven't hurt him!" All the calm in her voice had vanished.

"Haven't hurt him? His cooperation determines whether or not he gets hurt." As he spoke, he took a few steps toward her.

She did not cower away from him, "He will escape." She gave him her most defiant glare.

He stepped closer, nearly closing the gap between them, "Oh, is that so...? I doubt he can get away from the men I have detaining him."

"Your guards aren't all powerful," she took a deep breath, "and neither are you. You think you have all the power you used to, but you don't, and you'll never have it back."

Anger flashed through his amber eyes for only an instant before he regained control of his expression. His hand gripped her wrist again, but this time she didn't have time to guard with her arm when he pulled her forward, so she crashed against his chest. The plan was to glare back at him, like last time, but the pain in her wrist was too distracting to ignore. It was her already bruised wrist; that must be why it seemed to burn so badly. Her head remained down, on his chest, and she hoped that he would let go soon. She remembered how he had regained control of his expression, but his heartbeat betrayed him. It pounded violently against his chest, and it seemed to be the only thing that she could hear. She thought she heard him say something threatening but it was no more than a muffled sound to her.

However, something distracted her from that. Her wrist was screaming in protest against Ozai's grip. Realization suddenly hit her; she knew what was happening, and knew that she needed to act. To her surprise, she didn't have to do much. She was pushed away slightly, and the pain eased some. He was glaring over his shoulder, so she peered around his muscular body to see that Lee had returned. Glancing at her wrist, she knew now was the best time to act, so she jerked away and clasped her hand over her wrist. Panic overcame her body and she darted away from him. Her senses returned to her after a few feet and she stopped, knowing that if she went too far, he would pursue her. While still in his line of sight, she kneeled down, keeping her hands in front of her.

She sat with her back to him, so he couldn't see her. Slowly, she moved her hand, ready to take off her armband. Not that there was much to remove. Tears of pain and fear swelled in her blue eyes as she saw the burn marks on her arm. It wasn't really a full-fledged burn, but it was just red with a few blisters. It was a burn nonetheless. Ignoring the panic the ran through her mind, she discarded the scrapes of cloth and rummaged through her bag until she found a spare armband. She put it aside for the moment and let water, form the pouch that she always kept strapped to her waist, flow over the burn. A sigh of relief passed through her quivering lips as the burn vanished.

The rest of their break went on in silence, but she wasn't the least bit thankful for that since it only allowed her to think about what had just happened. Ozai powers were meant to be gone forever, how could he possible use firebending? True, it wasn't real firebending; he had just generated a large amount of heat. At least it seemed as if he hadn't noticed. She hoped he didn't, anyway. The only thing she could think of to keep him oblivious was to make sure he didn't become angry. She groaned, remembering how easily Zuko would go off. What if Ozai was the same? True, he usually seemed so calm and in control, but being so outside his element, out of his throne room, it must be a test on his nerves. The frown on her lips was tugged down further, knowing that she would have to stop all her questioning.

"Come on, Water Tribe girl!"

She turned to see Lee waiting impatiently for her. Quickly, she grabbed up her bag and fallowed them. She passed Ozai to get to her original spot in the middle, and avoided all eye contact with him, even though she could feel the stare. That feeling seemed to press on during the rest of the trip. To her surprise, the journey ended after a few hours of walking. They stood in front of what appeared to be a mountain. Both Lee and the unnamed man searched the surrounding area before approaching the wall of rock, and with their combined effort, they pushed a human seized boulder away from the mountain side.

She was slightly surprised to see that a gaping hole that laid behind it. They entered first and gave the signal to follow, but she didn't move right away. Only when Ozai pushed her forward did she move. She wanted to retaliate against the rude push, but bit her tongue. Her eyes darted across the walls, and she could tell that the entrance had been manmade but the rest was natural. A bright light caught her eye, and a lit torch was shoved into her hands. A hand pushed against her shoulder again, and she noticed the other two had moved ahead. He must want her to move, considering the tunnel was only wide enough to go single file.

Everyone walked in silence and she wondered if it was because of her. More than likely, they all knew the plan, and were intent on keeping her in the dark. She shot an accusative glare at the ground below as it tripped her ever so slightly. An epic battle had to be fought with the jagged, uneven ground. Despite this, she picked up her pace since Ozai was too close to her for comfort. More trips did occur, but she was thankful that she hadn't landed flat on her face. A dead end came into view, but upon reaching it, she saw that it actually veered off in two directions. Her heart sank when Lee said that they were going to split up; and even more so when she was paired up with Ozai.

"Come." Ozai was already ahead of her, and she had to run to catch up to him.

"I know it's none of my concern, but how do you know which way to go? This tunnel can't go forever in a straight line." Just as she finished speaking, they passed an opening.

"I have a map," He held up a piece of paper, as if to prove that he wasn't lying.

She said nothing more and tried not to think about what his men had to do to acquire it. She came to the conclusion that Lee must also have a map that led to something different. When they had first entered, the air had been cool, but now it was slightly warmer. Her mind wondered away from the temperature change and to the whole odd buddy system setup. Why would she be paired with Ozai, wouldn't Lee want to go with his Lord? She could just see it in her mind, Lee insisting to Ozai that he go with him. She could also see his disappointed expression when Ozai refused his request. If Ozai hadn't just burned her, that thought would have given her a giggle.

Instead, she remained silent in the increasing heat, and it was then that she noticed the lava that flowed through the crevices, just like the tunnels that led to Ozai's underground bunkers. She suddenly realized why she was with Ozai. Being a waterbender, she could offer some protection against the lava. A frown tugged at her lips since she didn't know if she could fight off lava. The heat was becoming bothersome and sweat coated her whole body. After this, she would go to the nearest river to clean herself up. They rounded a corner and Ozai suddenly stopped. She peered around him and saw that a pool of lava blocked their path. Ozai didn't hesitate, and went straight to the wall of the tunnel.

He looked over his shoulder, "I hope you won't have a problem scaling this."

She peered around him yet again, and she saw a narrow strip or rock, "Of course I won't."

He went first, and did it as though it was something he did every day. When her turn came, she cautiously put a foot on the first part of the ledge, and pressed down to test its strength. She proceeded once she was satisfied with its sturdiness, and besides the heat nipping at her ankles, it was fairly easy. On the last step of the edge, she felt a crack. In horror, she looked down just in time to see the rock crumble away. She lunged forward and stumbled over her own feet as she landed on the ground, and her face made contact with something that was rock solid, but it was too soft to be so. A blush flared on her cheeks when she realized that she had fallen into Ozai's arms. Immediately she attempted to push herself away, with enough force that she probably would have fallen into the lava behind her if an arm wasn't securely wrapped around her waist.

She didn't hesitate in looking up at him, ready to give him a glare that would tell him to let her go, but she was caught off guard. The amber eyes that gazed down at her were not the ones she was accustom to, but before she could tell what emotion lay in those eyes, it was gone. The familiar coldness returned as he pushed her away. He turned away from her without a single word and continued down the darkening tunnel. She allowed herself a moment to think, why was he looking at her that way? Why didn't he make a snide comment? That seemed like the perfect time to give one.

The darkness increased and she glanced at her hand in confusion, and then back to the pool of lava. She groaned as she connected the dots; she must have dropped the torch in the lava when she fell. With her only light source growing dimmer by the moment, she darted off after Ozai. After many more twists and turns they reached their destination, at least she believed so when Ozai kneeled down. She looked around at the small circular area they had entered. She knew that he wouldn't want her to see, so she didn't bother trying to look. Sure enough, when he stood and turned, whatever item he had was hidden from her view.

"Come." There was a slight sound of irritation in his voice.

The journey back to the splitting point went by without incident and in complete silence. Lee and his partner were waiting for them and they spoke in hushed voice to each other. When Ozai reached them, he joined in the conversation. She was exhausted from the day's journey, and she wanted nothing more than for the day to end. So, she didn't even try to listen in. All three started to leave the volcano and she followed lazily after them. When they reached the outside, the evening sun greeted her. Shades of pink and blue lined the horizon, and she gave a sigh of relief, glad that the day was coming to an end.

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**Love, hugs, and fireflakes to all who review!**


	8. The Hot Spring

**xXx Chapter 8 xXx**

**xXx The Hot Spring xXx**

They did not walk far before stopping, and Katara could still see the tip of the volcano above the tree-line. Nevertheless, she was thankful that their journey for the day had ended. With what little strength she could summon forth, she pulled out her sleeping bag and flopped down on it with a happy sigh. She then groaned, remembering that she had wanted to wash off in the river. Even though she had no energy left, she automatically rose and dragged herself past Lee and the no-name. As she did so, she attempted to stay where she was going, so they would not follow, but her words sounded like gibberish in her own ears. Despite that, the men let her go, something to which she had no objections to.

Blindly, she passed tree by tree, following the sound of the water. How she managed to get there without tripping over a root, she thought she would never know. She stopped once she reached a clearing, leaned back on the bark of a tree, and tried to rub the sleep out of her eyes. Silently, she stood for a while longer, letting the newly found warmth wash over her sore body. She would also never know how she had been lucky enough to stumble onto a hot spring. Of course, later, she would not call it luck. As she opened her eyes, she first saw the evening sky, which was still fairly bright and it hurt her weary eyes, so she cast her gaze lower. She expected to see the small wall of rock that separated the warmer water from the colder, and she did, but there was something far more...surprising between her and the rocks.

Ozai sat in the water, which rolled calmly around his hips. He leaned against the rocks with his head reclined back, and his amber eyes were currently closed. The evening sun was not casting shadows over him, so the light shined on every muscle that covered his body, and made his black hair shimmer. His chest rose up and down slowly with his breathing, but a slender finger tapped impatiently against a rock. His arms were spread out wide against the surface of the stone, and she spotted a scar that ran diagonally across his side. She was sure that there were more, all she had to do was search, but reality caught up with her, making her checks flare instantly and immensely.

As her mind raced, it took everything she had to not run away. That wouldn't be very inconspicuous. She moved away from the tree, but kept as close as she possible could to it, and started to back into the forest. A guilty, shameful feeling nagged at her when her eyes refused to look away, and that only made the shade of her checks brighten. It was not the muscles but the scar that held her gaze. Perhaps it was just her caring nature, but she wanted to know how he had received it, but she knew she couldn't ponder on that at the moment. It seemed as if the universe, very badly, wanted to enlighten her about her luck earlier with not tripping over the roots; it was saving that moment for right now.

Her foot became ensnared by an upturned root and she fell back, crashing onto the forest ground below. She was far too panicked to utter out a sound of pain, which she wanted to do, considering that her elbow had smashed against a rock. She stayed there, completely mortified that she had been discovered. Her checks flared more and it felt as if someone had thrown a fireball at her face.

"Are you going to get up?" Her heart skipped a beat as she sat up with her eyes still closed, "Open your eyes, Waterbender, since you've already seen..."

Her blush deepened even further at the clear amusement that was laced in his voice, "No, I didn't...!" She rose frantically and stumbled back, which caused her to hit her head on a low branch. She fell down to her knees and clasped the back of head with both hands.

"You're not going to get anywhere with closed eyes," He said with even more amused maliciousness.

She jerked up, ready to retaliate back to his bumptiousness, but in the process opened her eyes. He was now looking directly at her, and the arm that belonged to the tapping finger was now propped up at an angle which was supporting his tilted head. She let out a distressed sound and spun around, fleeing into the tress. At the moment, she didn't care that she was running away like a scared little girl. She knew, however, that this would not be the end of it. After her outburst earlier, he would probably take any chance he could to make her uncomfortable.

She reached the campsite, quite out of breath, just as darkness was creeping over the forest. As if she was being chased by a hideous monster, she dived under the covers of her sleeping bag, pulling it completely over her head. She forgot instantly about her desire to wash off and begged for sleep to come quickly. More so than the sleep, she hoped there would be no dreams about what she had just witnessed. She would prefer the fire engulfed nightmare over that.

**xXx The Next Day xXx**

She gave a relieved sigh when she awoke; her night had been blissfully dreamless. Slowly, she pulled the blanket away from her face to see that the sun was just rising. She took a deep breath and stood, determined to go down to the river. Lee and no-name were still sleeping, so she bravely went over to Ozai's tent and dared a peek inside. She stayed only long enough to see his mane of black hair, and quickly hurried off. When she picked up her bag, she frowned, realizing that her face was warm. Infuriating man. On her way to the river, she attempted to shake it away, but to her annoyance, it remained.

When she reached the clearing again, she paused and peered around a tree, making sure she was alone. More than anything, she wanted to have a nice, relaxing time, but she didn't want to risk someone discovering her. Without Toph here to feel the vibrations of the ground, someone could easily stumble upon her. That would just be her luck. With all that in mind, she didn't waste time searching for the hot spring and quickly took off her clothes, laying them on a rock. Knowing it would be cold, she got in the water all at once, and despite how chilly it was, she allowed herself to sink down further, letting the water wash over her body.

She let out a happy sigh and momentarily forgot all her problems. Unfortunately, they began to slowly come back, starting with her bandaged arm. Carefully, she unwrapped it, setting the gauze aside. It was healing nicely. Carefully, she ran water over the cut, and slowly moved her arm in a pivotal motion. She gave a weary glance to the wrist that he had been burned. There was no evidence of that now, and was no longer sore from when Ozai had simply grabbed it. She threw her arm against the surface of the water, sending a small wave downstream. Ozai was not someone she wanted to think about right now.

Instead of sinking deeper into the water, like she wanted, she got out. With an annoyed flip of her hand, which looked much like an attempt to swat away a fly, the water that clung to her body instantly vanished. Once she dressed, she stormed off into the forest. As she did so, her pace slowed and her temper dissolved. She ran her fingers through her still wet hair, which she had taken down while in the river, and let out a sad sigh. Far too soon, the campsite came back into view, and with a much more elegant movement, she removed the water from her hair.

She packed her things as quietly as she could manage, being in no hurry to wake anyone. For quite a while she sat on the ground, waiting for the others to realize that the sun was rising, and tried to keep her mind from wandering too far. Lazily, she put her hair back in its usual style. In her attempts to keep her mind in check, she did not notice that the others had woken. When Ozai emerged from his tent, she immediately looked down at her bag, once again pretending to be immensely interested in the tiny string that came from its top. She picked nervously at the frayed ends; if she kept this up, it would dwindle away to nothing.

"Come one, Waterbending trash." She didn't feel like starting anything with Lee, so she simply stood and tried to give him a disapproving look.

The silence of their walks were becoming quite unbearable. It ate away at her nerves until she felt like screaming...but she thought better of it since it wouldn't do her any good. Nervously, she brought her braid over her shoulder and ran her hand down its length. It soon became undone, and the wavy mess became entangled in her fingers every now and then. That did not deter her, and the speed at which she did so only increased as an uneasy feeling crept into her stomach. Something was going to happen today, she just didn't know what.

At this point, she would gladly welcome a wolfbat attack. Anything to break the tension. No such attack came, but her mood did lighten when they reached the village of their departure. Lee and no-name approached the shops, buying various things, and Katara moved away from Ozai as far as she could dare to. She was careful not to move out of his line of sight, not wanting to give him reason to follow. Turning away from him, she looked over the village and something caught her eye. She rushed to a build board and snatched up a paper that was tacked to it. An image of Ozai stared up at her; it was a wanted poster with a large bounty printed below it.

She looked around cautiously at all the people but they seemed unconcerned. Then again, why should they be? Everyone knew Aang took away his powers, and everyone believed it to still be true. Only she knew the truth, and it made her stomach turn as she glared down at the poster. Her mind raced, knowing she had a decision to make. She wanted to crumble it up and throw it away, but she knew he would find out sooner or later. The ultimate factor was that she wouldn't be able to face him long enough to tell him. Not without blushing or avoiding eye contact. At that thought, her eyes jerked away from the picture and her fist began to tighten.

Then it was suddenly ripped away from her. It disappeared behind her, so she automatically turned. Amber eyes stared down at her, and she couldn't force herself to look away. Luckily, she was not blushing since all the color had drained from her face completely. Since her eyes were locked with his, they moved down when his did until they reached the poster. For whatever reason, that broke the trance she seemed to be under, not that she was complaining.

With her gaze now fixed on the ground, she spoke, unintentionally, "Do you really believe that they won't be able to find you?"

His hand grabbed her chin and forced her to look up into his glaring eyes. He spoke calmly and in a matter-of-fact manner, "Just look around you, Waterbender, no one seems bothered by my escape, and as for 'them' finding me, to whom are you referring? My _son _and your Avatar are too busy dealing with the affairs of the Fire Nation, as well as the rest of the world," he hissed 'son' with great disdain and leaned a bit closer, lowering his voice, "trust me, when they've discovered that you're not at the South Pole... they won't have the time to search for you, not themselves. Since that will be the case, you won't be found."

A twinge played at her heart, "How dare you say that, Aang will come for me!" She hissed at him, so those around would not hear.

He grabbed her wrist and jerked her forward, letting her see the eyes that were hidden to all else by his hood, "You believe so? Despite that you've been with me, helping with...my plans. I was his greatest enemy. I don't think something so traitorous can be easily forgotten."

He seemed so sure of himself, which irritated her, "You know nothing about Aang. Not that I can blame you, you just don't have the means to understand some people's ability for forgiveness."

The confidence didn't fade from his eyes, "Forgiveness, it is a weakness. The same type of weakness that drove the Avatar to spare my life. He has only given me a chance to take back what was mine."

For the first time, she forgot about the river incident and could bare to continue looking him in the eye, "No, he gave you second chance. A second chance at life. And this is how you repay him, with whatever plan you have?"

A malicious smirk tugged at his lips, "People don't change."

She shook her head, "Zuko changed, for the better."

The corners of his mouth pulled down a bit, "Perhaps I should rephrase. Those who are strong don't change, and like I've said before, he is weak, weak enough to change."

"No, you're..."

He cut her off, "What, wrong? Just look at yourself, Waterbender; although you are with me, you can't stand what I'm doing, and you don't even know what it is. You're strong in your resolve to not give in, you won't do what I say without complaint, and you always demand to know what my plan is, where your brother is located."

She stared intently at him, his words playing through her head. That sounded a lot like a compliment, but his voice was laced lightly with annoyance. While pondering over his meaning, she became slightly distracted. Her vision seemed to fade away as she became consumed in her thoughts. A repetitive tapping on her wrist brought her back to reality; her neck had craned back down to its natural position, so she was no longer staring into his eyes. She gave a fleeting glance to her wrist; a slender finger was the force of the tapping feeling from earlier. When she looked back up at him, she noticed that he was closer, and his expression was different. It was still a confidant one, but it wasn't the same one from just moments ago. She couldn't find a word to describe it, but nevertheless, it sent a shiver through her body. Now she needed to find a word for the shiver, because it wasn't one of fear.

"...My Lord..."

Rather hastily, and guiltily, Katara pulled away. As she took in a deep breath, she realized that she had been holding it in. Lee stood a few feet away, looking back and forth between the two curiously.

"What?" He acted as though Lee had stumbled upon something normal.

He gave one last glance to Katara before giving his full attention to Ozai, "We have a problem, my Lord." He said nothing more. No information for her, just like always.

Ozai walked away with Lee, leaving Katara alone again. She took this opportunity to clear her head with a little walk. In no time at all, she could see the seaport which was lined with dozens of boats. The 'problem' suddenly became clear; Fire Nation soldiers lined the docks and it appeared as if they were part of a search party...More like a man hunt. It seemed Zuko was wasting no time in tracking his father down. She thought relief would be filling her heart...but it wasn't so. She clenched at her chest, perplexed by the odd feeling. Whatever it was, it was soon replaced by anger and confusion. Why should she have felt anything other than relief? Her fist twisted at the fabric of her shirt. She came to the horrible realization that what Ozai had said about her was wrong. Somehow, this experience was changing her, and it scared her to death. Surely, she wasn't going bad. That couldn't be. It just couldn't.

"So, you see the dilemma."

She barely heard him through her own dizzying thoughts, but she did manage a nod, "Yeah." Her voice was hardly over a whisper.

"Come, we can't leave the way we came." She didn't move, and again, she barely heard him. As tears started to swell in her eyes, he spoke again, "Now, Katara."

That came in loud and clear, she spun around and looked at him in astonishment. From his expression, he obviously didn't realize what he had said. Only once, while still imprisoned, had he called her Katara. Ever since then, he had referred to her as Waterbender...

He called her by name...

* * *

**Love, hugs, and fireflakes to all who review!**


	9. The Wanted and Missing Posters

**xXx Chapter 9 xXx**

**xXx The Wanted and Missing Posters xXx**

"Before we go, you will put this on." He shoved a pile of green fabric into her hands.

When she unfolded the emerald green mass, it revealed a long cloak, much like Ozai's. Around its edges were solid bands of a lighter green, and it had the Earth Kingdom's emblem on the chest. Little green tassels hung from either side of the hood. Even though she found it very pretty, she gave him a questioning glare.

"Why do I have to wear this?" She thought it an innocent enough inquiry, but apparently, he did not.

The frown he already wore became more profound, "You will do as I say, now come…and put the hood up."

In surrender, she frowned, and shrugged on the cloak as she glared at his back. Wearing the cloak wasn't something she wanted to start an argument over, but she still flung the hood over her head in huff. She walked silently beside Ozai, wondering if he would ever realize that he had called her by name, but it didn't appear like he was going to. Perhaps it didn't mean anything special. Not to him, at least. For her, it was amazing when someone stopped addressing her as the Water Tribe poster girl; Waterbender, Water Tribe peasant, along with other, more colorful names mixed with her heritage name.

When Zuko started calling her by name, it meant that they were friends, not that she expected friendship from Ozai, but even if it meant he hated her a little less, she would take it; it would certainly make this a lot easier. Even if by some miracle it was so, he was still holding his elitist attitude. Once again, he refused to tell her where they were going, and they still hadn't met up with Lee and no-name. She thought they were still in the town gathering supplies, but evidently they had moved on ahead of them. That in itself seemed odd; Lee wouldn't willingly leave his Lord's side. Even though she knew that he would confine nothing to her, she wanted to know the new plan, and where the others had disappeared to.

"If we can't leave by boat, then what are we going to do?" She added quickly, "I know you won't tell me where we're going, but how are we going to get there now? Do we need to travel by ship, or can we remain on the mainland?"

She couldn't see his eyes, but she could tell that he gave her a sideways glance, "We need to locate a safer dock, and another ship." Unsurprisingly, he didn't sound too happy.

She looked at him astonishment, not believing that he actually gave her a reasonable reply. Quickly, she gave him a small nod, and decided not to press her luck any further. For now at least. Instead of focusing on him, she threw herself into her surroundings, like she had done before. This day wasn't particularly nice; the sky had turned a dreary, gray color. The temperature was nice and cool, but the wind that blew occasionally ruined it a bit. Even though she hated to admit it, the cloak provided a good shield; and she knew her winter coat would have been too much….

The wind…she hadn't thought about Aang in days. She wasn't sure if she wanted to. At first, she thought she would get over what Aang had done, and she had. It seemed so unimportant now, but things still didn't feel right; it didn't feel like she wanted to be with him again. This made her a little sad, considering all they've been through. She forced herself to retreat out of her thoughts, and glanced behind her, to see how far they had traveled from the small village. It was quite a distance away from them, and in front of them stretched out a never ending dirt road.

Something dawned on her, "Where is Lee and…and the other Firebender?"

He didn't so much as give her a sideways glance, "They are attending to something else."

She pondered on this for a moment; he gave up his answer way too easily. He didn't have to think about giving it, no hesitation at all. It must have been important enough for him to take the time to prepare an answer in case she asked, and she couldn't help but notice that there was a slight edge to his voice. Whatever was happening, it must not have been part of his grand master plan. She couldn't help but feel a bit proud of herself, having come to her conclusion from just his one statement.

As their trek continued, the surroundings became more rough and rigorous. A few branches and roots crisscrossing their path here, a few gaping holes there. The journey was becoming less and less fun by the minute. Not that any of their other voyages had been enjoyable. Though this one seemed to be going more favorably for Ozai since he was doing much better than in the forest; he was keeping pace with her. He was actually pulling ahead. She rolled her eyes at his competitiveness; just like any man.

She reminisced on a time when she was racing Sokka home, and to win, he had pushed her down. He apologized afterwards, of course, but he was still boasting about the fact that he had won, which earned him a slippery slide down the mound of snow he had been standing on. Without warning, something pulled roughly against her neck. In annoyance, she found that Ozai had grabbed the collar of her shirt in order to stop her. He was looking past her, so she turned to see what so important that he had to choke her. Two Fire Nation soldiers were heading toward them on the same dirt road.

Before he could suggest hiding in case of questioning, she was pulled into the trees, and promptly pressed against one. Her arms had instinctually gone up to guard herself, so her hands were now trapped between his chest and her now red face. One hand was roughly pinning down one of her shoulders to the tree; his other hand placed on the bark by her other arm, ensuring that she couldn't get away. She could feel his surprisingly steady heartbeat beneath her fingertips, while her own heartbeat was pounding furiously in her chest. For a moment, she thought his heart rate had picked up, but she realized that it was just the footsteps of the approaching soldiers. Panic started to set in before she recognized this as an opportunity to get out of this mess. She couldn't believe it took her this long to see it. If she could only get to them.

She went over her current 'pinned to the tree' situation. Ozai clearly wasn't taking any chances with her yet, but she was certain that she could break free with a little waterbending. As she mentally prepared herself for the attack, she could hear their footsteps fading. When the two were coming toward them, they were completely hidden behind the tree, but if the two turned around now, they would be seen. Apparently, Ozai knew this as well, but instead of moving further around the tree and risking possible noise, he just pressed himself closer to her. His soft hair fell from his hood and brushed against her hands and cheeks, which somehow killed her resolve to attack.

When the sound of their footsteps vanished entirely, he pulled away. The last thing she felt was his still calm heartbeat. He grabbed her forearm and pulled her away from the trees, and back onto the dirt road. He gave one fleeting glance behind him before releasing her arm and starting down the path again. In a daze she followed him, her thoughts swirling around in her head. She had lost her chance to end all of this, why couldn't she do it? The soldiers were right there, right in front of her. Searching for Ozai! She wrapped her arms around her stomach since she now felt sick.

The sun was now at the its highest point in the sky, and Katara had not spoken or even looked at Ozai since their non-encounter with the soldiers. She kept to herself, still mentally beating herself up for her earlier decision. Suddenly, she was pulled to the side once again, her hear leapt, perhaps there were more soldiers, but she was not dragged into the forest. A patch of grassy land to the other side of the road was their destination. Still, being hopeful, she looked around for any sign of a soldier. No such luck. By the time she had given up on her fruitless search, Ozai had already sat down, and he was eating. She placed a hand on her stomach, and despite her earlier disgust, found that she was indeed hungry.

Once she sat down, a couple of feet away from him, she took out some of the bread and dried meat she had left. Absentmindedly, she ate the food she had become quite tired of. It didn't have much of a flavor to it, and it wasn't too filling. Inwardly, she sighed, the palace as well as home had her spoiled. She hadn't had to eat like this since her adventures with Aang and the rest of the gang. She looked down at her dry piece of bread in disappointment. Nevertheless, she was going to continue eating it, but something caught her eye. A small box with rice and meat, covered in thick sauce, was being held out to her. She stared wide-eyed at Ozai, who held a box of his own in his other hand. His head was lowered, and it seemed as if he was glaring angrily at his own food; her suspicions seemed to be confirmed when she saw the deep frown on his lips. Timidly, she took the box from him, and looked at it in bewilderment. An act of generosity, from Ozai? Was the world coming to an end? Even if he didn't look one bit happy about doing it, did it still count as…kindness?

He stood and turned away from her, looking off into the ocean, "If you don't keep up your strength, you're no good to me." His voice was just as cold as ever.

Starch that, defiantly not kindness. He only did it for his own personal interest. She was stunned at how disenchanted she felt, but she ate the food regardless; it was much better than the dry bread and meat. Not that she would let him know that. When she finished, they continued walking in the same manner as before. Soon, the silence began to eat away her. After all, she did grow up with Sokka, who could talk anyone to death. Given her earlier success with Ozai answering her question, she decided to go for another one. Even though all reasoning told her not to press her luck, she choose to go for it.

"Why am I wearing this?"

He gave no reply; he didn't even look at her, "Okay… When is Lee coming back?" She frowned, having to depend on Lee for a conversation starter, which also failed.

She sighed, loudly, but still no response. Upon giving up, she started to fiddle with the tassels of her hood, braiding a few pieces here and there. Anything to help the time pass. She was unable to understand how anybody could stand to be in the presence of this man. A pile of snow offered more excitement. Surly if she asked about his life before he lost his throne she would get a response. He seemed like the type who could talk about himself and his evilness for hours, but she wasn't in the mood for a sad story.

"Horror story, too." That thought caused a small titter of laughter. Ozai was about a foot ahead of her, so when he looked back, she noticed.

Opps, not a thought…

She stared at him silently for a few moments while she tried to come up with an excuse, "What, you're not going to talk to me… I can't talk to myself?"…Because that didn't sound stupid or insane at all.

Amazingly enough, that didn't earn a reply, either. He simply turned and continued walking. She gave a silent sigh of relief, glad that he wasn't in a particularly evil mood today; she could have easily received a sarcastic remark from that. There was defiantly something not right about this day, and at this point, she wouldn't be surprised if it started raining turtleducks. She wanted to giggle at that too, but she forced herself to remain silent.

**xXx Later that Day xXx**

Katara was leaning on a tree that stood adjacent to the dirt road. A great amount of time had passed; dusk was bound to make its appearance at any moment. Lee and no-name had finally returned, from wherever they had been; no one looked happy. Not in the least bit. When they reappeared, Lee looked rather panicked; no-name appeared hopelessly desperate. From the very beginning, she doubted they had good news. She watched them sheepishly. Ozai had his back turned to her, but she didn't need to see his face to tell he was irate, because Lee's and no-name's expression said it all. As each second passed, their features became more and more frightened.

She couldn't hear anything, but she didn't want to move closer, not with the chance of being yelled at. She defiantly didn't want to risk infuriating him further; there was no reason for him to know about his powers resurfacing. If she could, she would try calming him down, but she doubted that she had that kind of power or influence over him. As a matter of fact, it seemed like she couldn't do anything but aggravate him.

"Come on, Waterbender!"

Everyone had continued walking again, and it had been Lee that shouted at her. Something about his voice didn't seem quite right. It didn't have all the malice that it usually held, and she managed to catch a glimpse of him; it looked like he had seen a ghost. A fast paced walk was required to keep up with them now; apparently Ozai was blowing off steam, seeing as how he was a few dozen feet ahead of them. Whatever happened, it must have been bad since she had been walking side by side with Lee for quite a while, and without one single insult. She started watching Lee out of the corner of her eye; he had begun fidgeting frenziedly, and appeared as if he wanted desperately to say something.

He must have gathered up enough courage to speak, "My Lord, it will be getting dark soon, we should find a place to camp for the night." His voice was very timid, which was very out of character for him.

Ozai stopped, and remained static for a few moments, "Fine."

He procrastinated in pursuing them into the woods, and kept his distance from them while following them. Even when they found a clearing, he stayed away.

"My Lord, we are going to gather firewood." He didn't wait for a response.

With the two of them gone, Ozai moved over to one of the bags, and pulled out his tent. The rods for it fell to the ground and he gave a disgruntled groan, and then he glanced back at her, "Come here."

She sighed, warily making her way over to him. She had an inkling of what was coming, "…Yes?"

"Put the tent together."

Considering that she didn't want to anger him, she put aside her stubbornness, "…Alright."

She set it up as quickly as she could, hoping that he would retired to his tent and stay there for the rest of the night.

**xXx Ozai xXx**

He waited impatiently for Katara to finish preparing his tent, even though he knew that sleep would be eluding tonight. He hadn't told Katara, and he had no intention of doing so, but he found a missing poster of her right before he had seen the wanted one for himself. Obviously, that's why he had her wearing the cloak. It now seemed more troublesome than it had been at first, but that was only because of the bad news which came later. Katara's brother, Sokka, had escaped from the men that were holding him.

That didn't present much of a problem, but only if those fools had reframed from telling Sokka anything. If they had managed to keep quiet, the boy shouldn't know anything about Katara's disappearance. Or that he had escaped his prison. It wouldn't be long before the boy discovered the truth, though. He wasn't sure how intelligent the boy was; perhaps he wouldn't be able to connect both of their disappearances. It would appear that Zuko couldn't make the connecting either, or he just wasn't letting on that he had. Katara's missing poster didn't have any extra information on it, and neither did his.

With the Fire Nation now searching for him, it made his plan more complicated. He knew it would happen eventually, but he had originally thought that he could have been back on the ocean before the search began. Finding another ship would be difficult, as well as departing from the dock. If Zuko was smart, which he wasn't, he would have the ships searched; but there was always a chance that they could be. With all those soldiers wondering around, he was certain that Katara couldn't be trusted. He had to keep her away from them. It would only be too easy for her to tell a soldier everything.

"It's done…"

Katara looked at him sheepishly; she was acting very odd today. He had expected her put up some kind of fight when he ordered her to put up his tent. He found himself a little disappointed at that. Not many people would stand up to him like she would. Granted, it irritated him to no end when other people did; however, he found her outbursts a bit amusing.

* * *

**Love, hugs, and fireflakes to all who review!**


	10. The Rekindled Flame

**xXx Chapter 10 xXx**

**xXx The Rekindled Flame xXx**

The dark red fabric of his tent was Ozai's only view; it had been for a while now. He was correct in his earlier assumption that sleep was going to allude him, and it only ate away at his nerves. The events of the day were still heavy in his thoughts; they just wouldn't leave him be. What he needed was a distraction, too bad he didn't want to leave his tent in order to find one. The only diversion he did have was when Lee got up to add flame to the fire, but that had not happened in quite a while. In fact, the hazy red dot that was perceptible through his tent was fading ever so slowly. Darkness soon began to consume his temporary shelter, and in his current disposition, it frustrated him. He waited a few more minutes for Lee to attend to the fire before getting up to do something about it himself.

The flame was barely a flicker in its mound of ashes. He knelled down to add wood to the fire, and watched as the blaze intensified. He let one hand hover by the blaze, feeling the rush of warmth that it produced…This day seemed almost desperate to vex him…Oddly enough, the flames continued to grow and grow… The soldiers at the dock… The light cast eerie shadows across the campsite… The Water Tribe boy escaping… The flames came dangerously close to his hand… Soldiers searching for him and Katara… The fire rolled around the edges of his hand… That silly little girl… Suddenly, the flame leapt into the palm of his hand, where it lingered an inch or so above the skin. Slowly, he flipped his hand over, and the fire went with it. He stared at it indifferently for a moment before a sinister smirk crept across his lips. His amber eyes sparked with a malevolent wickedness, one strong enough the melt all of his current inconveniences away. He came to the sudden conclusion that this was best to be kept hidden, for now.

After all, talented hawks hide their talons.

**xXx The Next Day xXx**

**xXx Katara xXx**

A small ant was crawling across her hand when Katara opened her eyes. Lazily, she turned her hand over and brushed it against a lone blade of grass, which safely removed the tiny black creature. Through heavy eyes, she watched as it scurried away, until it disappeared into its own little jungle. With the insect out of view, her eyes shifted around the dim camp. The sun had not started on its climb in the sky yet, the misty morning shrouded the flickering fire, and that was not all it concealed.

Ozai stood a short distance away from the faint light. He was turned at an angle, and she could just barely see his face. She did not like what she saw, an evil joyfulness played across his pale lips, and that just couldn't be good. In an attempt to locate the cause of his bothersome delight, she scanned the area once again, but nothing significant caught her attention. She thought about going back to sleep, but that seemed too much like hiding. So, she sat up and prepared for an uneasy silence with Ozai.

He didn't seem to notice that she had awakened and that she was currently putting away her things, which did cause quite a bit of noise. Or perhaps he just didn't care. It wouldn't be a surprise. She was surprised, however, to find him awake so early. On the previous mornings, he always slept in. Then, without warning, he walked away, vanishing into the cluster of trees. She stared questionably at the spot where he had been standing for a moment before getting up to get a closer look. Now standing exactly where he had been, she concluded that nothing seemed out of the ordinary. She sighed and placed her hands on her hips. Upon giving up in her search to find anything odd, she flopped down next to the warming fire. The flames danced in front of her eyes, easing the passage of time.

Rays of light were now breaking though the leaves of the trees, and Ozai had still not returned. Someone did greet her however, but she would prefer Ozai over him. Lee sat down at the fire, directly opposite of her. It appeared as if he was attempting to glare at her, but he was still hazy from sleep, which caused it to fail. With much aggravation, he rubbed the sleep away from his eyes and cast his gaze down to the fire.

"Did _you_ add wood to the fire earlier?"

She looked at him, to the fire, and then back to him, "No, I didn't… Why?"

The only answer he gave was an annoyed 'hump' and proceeded to jab a nearby stick into the embers. She did not press her question, but she got the feeling that it was Lee's responsibility to attend to the fire, and that he had failed to do so. He started the tap impatiently on the ground with his index finger. That didn't strike her as abnormal, but the next thing did. He looked up at her and stared into her eyes. It was done so very creepily, and it was made even more so when he smiled at her. A very disconcerting smile. Nonchalantly, he stood and sauntered over toward her. Once he reached her, he kneeled down and continued to stare. She hadn't watched him when he moved, her eyes had stayed fixed on the spot where he had been sitting. Even now, she refused to regard him.

"Waterbender." His voice was mellow… but that only seemed to make him more unnerving.

She gave him a quizzical glance, "… What?" Without waiting for a response, she turned her gaze back to the fire.

A hand suddenly gripped her chin and forcibly turned her to face Lee, "Look at me, girl." His voice was restored back to its typical, livid state.

She took in a deep breath, in order to deliver a rant, but she was pulled up to a standing position and was promptly pressed against Lee. Instantly, she waterbended him away with a great amount of power. He was thrown back, and slammed into the ground beneath him. Without hesitation, he leapt up and tackled her down. The air was knocked out of her, which gave him the opportunity to pin her arms above her head. She brought her knee up and jabbed it into his stomach. The original target was missed, but nevertheless, he released one hand and rolled to the side upon feeling the force of the blow. She had to give another water-based attack to free herself completely. Hastily, she stumbled back and managed to stand.

Her checks were flushed with anger, "What are you doing!"

He stood and lunged at her again, and just barely managing to capture her wrist, "Hold still and you'll find out."

She knew exactly what he was doing, but she wouldn't acknowledge it, "No, I will not!"

"Lee…" An ill contempt growl pierced the air.

He looked past her in horror, "My Lord…" His voice was now a pathetic whimper, and he threw her hand away as if it were toxic.

While backing further away from Lee, she turned to face Ozai. An extremely irate Ozai. His hood was down, so every vexing feature was visible, "Come with me, now." He moved his infuriated gaze to Katara, "Remain here."

She let out a sigh of relief when Lee disappeared, and she honestly didn't care what Ozai did with him.

**xXx Ozai xXx**

The sun was rising, casting hues of red and pink across the morning sky. Ozai smoothed out the fabric of his robe, his objective being complete. Birds that had either flown away or silenced themselves were now starting to come back with their whistling songs. The area he had chosen was nestled beside a quietly flowing river. It was rather peaceful, despite what he had just done. The ground was scorched at varies places, but they all led to one central place. That location contained Lee's burned, battered and lifeless body.

**xXx Flashback xXx**

Upon unearthing his firebending abilities, Ozai went on a search to locate a place for practice, a place that was far off from the others. He needed to know if his bending was still as powerful as before and if he could even do it again. Once finding a nice clearing, he attempted to firebend again, only to be sorely disappointed. He tried again and again, but success was overcome by failure. Whatever triggered the spark in his powers, he was unable to find it again. He had thought that it was anger that fueled it, but all of his failures had made him extremely irritated. No results came.

He stood in the middle of the clearing, out of breath and ideas. He looked down at his hands and then to the sun- he refused to believe that the earlier incident had been just a fluke. His irritation and weariness was tightening its grip around his mood, therefore, he decided to yield his attempts. Bitterly, he moved back to the campsite, hoping to obtain some sleep. Perhaps he could bend after some much needed relaxation. Rest vanished from his mind completely once he reached the site. He arrived just in time to see Katara waterbend Lee off of her. He could now feel the power building up inside him.

**xXx End Flash Back xXx**

Surely, Katara wasn't the reason why he had regained his abilities. That little girl didn't mean anything; she was just another pawn in his game… Even if that same little girl made him destroy another pawn before its time was up. He frowned at Lee's body. The man's insubordination has caused another setback. Hikaru would just have to pick up his work.

**xXx Katara xXx**

What had been Lee's problem? She was certain that he hated her. Had he just been flirting with her this whole time? She gave an irritated groan. Feverishly, she continued putting her things away while muttering under her breath. Why were Fire Nation men so weird? Was it a requirement that they be insane at one point in their life? She sighed in frustration and yanked on the cord of her bag, closing it shut. Her thoughts suddenly became more confused. When Lee had her pinned to his chest, she had no problem pushing him away. She didn't even have to think about it. Why couldn't she do the same with Ozai? What could possibly make him more tolerable? Perhaps it was only because Ozai didn't insult her at every chance he got. It all still unnerved her, though. She knew she was strong enough to fight Ozai off, so why couldn't she do it? At least she had been- but he didn't know about his powers resurfacing yet. She rubbed her temples, trying to force her confusion to retreat.

"Where is Lee?" No-name was rising from his sleeping bag.

"He…um…" She wrung her hands nervously.

"It is unimportant," Ozai had finally reappeared, "Pack up, we're leaving."

No-name did not hesitate to do as commanded, nor did he ask about Lee any further. Looks like loyalty came before friendship. No-name hastened to take down Ozai's tent by himself. Instead of sitting and doing nothing, she decided to assist no-name. He didn't complain about her presence but he didn't thank her either. They simply worked in silence. She couldn't help but notice that Ozai was lingering close by. Close to her. He had always kept his distance while they were preparing for departure.

There was a difference in the way they walked today, too. Ozai stood by her the whole time, never leaving her side. No-name was leading the way, and it seemed as if they were heading back to the dirt road. Sure enough, they returned to the pathway and continued down it. No-name pulled a bit ahead, probably to keep watch for any Fire Nation soldiers. Unfortunately, that left her alone with Ozai, and to her earlier thoughts.

"Ozai, what happened to Lee…?"

He didn't look at her, "Why are you concerned about him?" His voice was laced with irritation.

"I' not, I'm just curious, seeing as how he attacked me this morning."

"Attacked?"

She blushed a slight shade of red, "That's not the point… What did you do to him?"

He gave her a vexing glare, "I don't see why you need to know."

"Fine." She hissed though clenched teeth.

She crossed her arms over her chest and looked away from him. Just as stubborn as ever. As their walk continued, a wind blew, sending a piece of paper toward them in a dust cloud. The beige fabric landed at her feet, so she paused to investigate. Ozai, much to her surprise, came to a stop as well. She only spared him a fleeting glance before picking it up. A few swipes of her hand across the paper cleansed it of the dirt that covered its surface. A painting of Aang and Zuko stared up at her through the woven material.

It was an anniversary announcement, one that celebrates the downfall of the Fire Nation. The day Aang defeated Ozai. She suddenly realized that it was, indeed, the middle of summer. The date must be coming up soon. Before she could inspect the poster any further, it was ripped out of her hands, and promptly thrown to the ground. For obvious reasons, this anniversary wasn't much cause for festivities in Ozai's eyes. When she started walking again, so did Ozai. Inwardly, she gave an irritated sigh, if he was going to act like this all afternoon- constantly walking along beside her- it was going to be a long and tiring day.

**xXx Later that Day xXx**

Her notion had been correct. Ozai was beginning to annoy her. Just like all the other times, the silence was the most frustrating aspect of their journey. A journey that had lasted all day. The sun was setting and it was time for them to make camp again. Since she had time to spare, she allowed herself to wonder if no-name was actually taking them anywhere of significance. Due to Lee's… absence… she helped setting up camp. Still, she let no-name to gather fire wood by himself. She had a feeling that Ozai would not have let her leave his sights, anyway. He was still reaming too close for comfort, which seemed a little silly since she had been pinned to his chest on multiple occasions. She frowned when that thought caused her to blush.

"I killed him." A bored voice said from behind her.

She turned to face Ozai, "Lee?"

"Who else?" His eyes showed no remorse.

She thought she knew the answer, but Katara asked regardless, "…Why?"

He stepped toward her, and Katara managed to not shrink away, "I was very specific in the orders I gave to Lee and Hikaru. They were not to touch you. In a harmful way or otherwise… I will no longer dismiss disobedience."

Without any warning, he cupped the small of neck her neck and pulled her forward, "I told him not to touch you…" His voice was barely a mumble, but it was still a powerful statement.

His domineering eyes gazed into hers, which rendered her frozen in place. She was gently pulled closer, and she instantly ceased breathing, dreading what would happen next. His topaz eyes seemed to glow in the dark, at least until they closed. Shock and surprise kept hers wide open. His lips brushed lightly against hers, and then a rustling sound broke the trance. Ozai instantly jerked away from her, and after giving her a troubling glare, walked away.

As he disappeared into the trees, she let out the breath she had been holding in. Butterflies violently zoomed around in her stomach, even though her cause for nervousness had vanished. The only thought she could form was one thanking Hikaru for coming back. She sank down to the ground and ran her fingers across her lips. She felt like crying or screaming. Anything to release the muddled mess of emotions that plagued her thoughts. She never got a chance to do anything of the sort.

"Katara?" A faint, sad, familiar voice came from behind her.

While remaining where she was, she turned her head to face her rescuer. Sokka stared at her in disbelieving horror. A fragment of hope came to the surface, but it was quickly forced back down when the disheartened look on Sokka's face fully registered in her mind. He had seen what just happened. Before she could wonder how much he had actually seen, Sokka spoke again.

"It's true what they said, you are traveling with him... But…" His timid voice suddenly turned harsh, "What the hell was that! What was he doing? Why were you letting him?"

"Sokka, it's not what you…"

"What? Not what I think! Then tell me what that was!" He pulled at his hair dramatically, "How could you- with him- what were you thinking!" His arms dropped back down to his sides.

He shook his head, "I'm taking you home," he ran up to her and grabbed her wrist, "Come one!"

Fire suddenly encircled them, "Where do you think you're going?" Katara turned, excepting to see Ozai, but Hikaru faced them instead, "The girl isn't going anywhere, and neither are you."

* * *

"Talented hawks hide their talons" is not mine. It is a Japanese proverb.

**Love, hugs, and fireflakes to all who review!**


	11. The Escape

**xXx Chapter 11 xXx**

**xXx The Escape xXx**

Ozai's pugnacious steps stormed through the foliage of the forest, making it seem like the leaves were jumping away from him in a frenzied fright. His thoughts were swarming in his mind with an aching ferocity; his thoughts hadn't been so scattered since the finale of his battle with the airbender. This was all just a part of his plan. He needed the girl to trust him. To choose him over her friends. It was all part of the plan. So why did he overreact? Surely he didn't feel guilty about using her in such a way. A deep frown tugged at his tightly pressed lips, which was the only thing that suppressed a groan of disapproval. That girl should mean nothing to him. She did mean nothing. He clenched his fists in frustration, realizing that Katara had such an effect on him. Why should she have an effect on him? She was just another pawn to be thrown away once her usefulness ran its course.

He would have kept walking all night in an attempt to calm his irritation, but a light caught his eye. Coming to a hard stop, he turned to see a bright glow coming from the direction of his departure. His mood dropped further when he decided to investigate the odd illumination.

**xXx Katara xXx**

Sokka jumped through the ring of fire with relative ease, and then shifted into a defensive stance with his sword held firmly in both hands. Seeing this, Hikaru reformed the fire to create a blazing line, which separated Katara from her brother. Faintly, she could hear Sokka's voice telling her to make a pathway through the fire with her waterbending. Her eyes darted to the water pouch that hung from her side, but she was interrupted before she had the chance to make the motion.

"Don't think about it girl, just come back over to me." Hikaru gave her a dangerous look.

As her hope slipped away with the setting sun, she came to a sudden realization; her whole purpose for being here was standing right in front of her. She now had no reason to do what either Hikaru or Ozai demanded. With their combined effort, her and Sokka could easily overpower Hikaru. Without giving it another thought, she sent a stream of water across the barrier of fire, and swung it around to clash into the body of her firebending opponent. Upon delivering another attack against Hikaru for good measure, she turned and ran toward Sokka, grabbed his wrist and dragged him away from the clearing. She could hear a staggered, "come back girl!" but that only gave her further inspiration to run.

Sokka tightened the grip around her hand in a protective manner, and pulled ahead of her slightly, taking the lead, "There's a village not too far from here," he cast an uneasy gaze behind him, "it's just that one, so we should be able to escape him without a problem."

She pointed out a foil to his plan, "What about Ozai?"

He shot her a disdainful look, "What about him? Aang took the powers away from that firebending psychopath."

She hesitated for a brief moment, "Sokka, I don't think he knows, but he's regained some of his powers." At seeing his shocked look, she elaborated further, "He grabbed my wrist, and his grip seemed abnormally hot. When I checked it latter, there was a burn."

His face fell into his characteristic expression of panic, "What! That lunatic has his powers back!"

In an effort to calm him, she repeated herself, "But I don't think he knows."

He groaned, "Okay, well, this isn't a huge problem. We just have to get away. Right! Then, Aang will just take his powers away again!"

Katara frowned, "Aang isn't here, Sokka. Even if he was, he has told me that he's not sure if could do it again."

He gave her a desperate look, "Come on, you're supposed to be the hopeful one! What kind of attitude is that?" He shook his head, "We just have to keep going for now." He looked away from her, keeping his eyes focused on the trees that lay in front of them.

She had to give him credit for not bringing up the incident between her and Ozai; she could tell that he hadn't forgotten. Not with that disappointed and confused countenance. Knowing that he would bring it up sooner or later, she frowned. Taking a very deep breath, she decided to copy Sokka's actions; she stared intensely at the path in front of her. The forest had become impossibly thick, which slowed down their pace and caused her some confusion.

"Sokka, why are we going deeper into the forest? The soldiers I've seen were at the docks."

Sokka didn't pause or look at her, "They'll be expecting us to go to the docks, it's the easiest option; so we'll go the opposite way. Maybe this will buy us some time." He was silent for a moment, "Besides, if there are soldiers at the docks, it won't be long before they move inland. _He _will be trapped in this forest, and it will just be a matter of tracking him down."

The darkening sky and the thickness of the trees soon made it close to impossible to see anything. This completely replaced their run with a slow and cautious walk. She kept close to her brother and had to feel her way through the trees. It wasn't as if this was something that she wasn't used to, but their possible pursuers made her uneasy. She glanced behind her, but saw nothing but darkness. She mentally chastised herself for thinking that she could see behind her when she could see nothing in the front. If it counted toward anything, she didn't hear anyone following them. When she turned her eyes back to the direction they were traveling, she did something. Small lights, quite a few small lights.

Sokka tapped her on the arm, "There's a village just up ahead… Keep your hood up, if there's one thing I've learned trying to get here, it's that Ozai has men everywhere."

"Alright." She could barely see through the darkness that Sokka was also wearing a cloak.

She wanted to know how Sokka escaped, but decided to wait until they were safe. As inconspicuously as they could, they entered the little community, and wasted no time in trying to find some kind of lodging. The dirt pathways of the village stood abandoned, and if it wasn't for the faint lights inside of the wooden houses, she would assume it to be deserted. Wordlessly, Sokka lead her into one of the wooden structures, and she stayed close as he approached a desk with a solemn looking man behind it.

"I would like a room, please." Sokka placed a small leather pouch on the desk.

The man peered inside the bag before taking it out of sight, "Take the room at the end of the corridor, the one to the right." The raspy-voiced man gave them no further attention, which Katara was grateful for.

Sokka, in turn, said nothing more to the grave looking man, and started down the corridor mentioned earlier. They walked to the room in silence, which Katara did not like. He must be furious with her, considering that Sokka usually doesn't know when to shut up. Sokka opened the door, let Katara pass in front of him, and then shut the door silently behind him. Katara stood in the middle of the room nervously, while her brother placed himself on the couch, which was placed against one of the walls. As casually as she could manage, she sat beside her distraught brother. She waited in silence for a few moments before it became apparent that she would have to speak first.

"How did you get away from the men that were holding you?" She made sure to not mention Ozai.

He gave her a sideways glance, "You want to hear the whole story?" He placed his elbows on his knees and hung his head low.

"Of course I want to hear the whole story."

He sighed, trying to recall the whole event, "I was back home, and Suki was with me. We had traveled quite a distance away from the village; we were confident that we could easily deal with any wild animals that we might come across, so we let our guard drop. This was something we did a lot, so we let our guard drop even further. We were having a good time, just talking. Then Suki tapped me on the shoulder and challenged me to chase her. She ran off and disappeared behind a huge chunk of ice, and that's when it all happened. When I rounded the corner to get her, I saw that she had already been capture. Four men already had her hands bounded behind her, and she managed to warn me about someone behind me."

"Without hesitation, I pulled out my sword and swung it behind me; which made a huge gash across a man's chest. I noticed there was someone to my left, so I swung again, but another crept up to my right and knocked my feet out from under me. I was prepared to get up and continue fighting, but a ring of fire circled around me, and without your waterbending," he gave her a sad glance, "there wasn't much I could do. When those brutes threatened to kill Suki, I dropped my sword… normally Suki could take care of herself, but not in this situation, when we were so unprepared for an attack. I begged them to let her go, but they said that she was already involved. So when they took me, they took Suki, too." Sokka looked saddened again, but did not look at her.

"We were held up in a solidly built room quite a few miles from here, but not for very long," he gave a small smile, "it was obvious that they were all formally Fire Nation soldiers, so it wasn't very difficult to get away from them… but when we were running in the woods, with the men following close after us, Suki and I became separated." Sokka ran a hand though his hair, which she now noticed was down, "with those creeps after us, I'm worried for her safety. I managed to take my weapons back before we had to leave that miniature prison, but Suki is out there without any weapons."

She placed a hand on his shoulder, "I'm sure Suki is fine, she may not have any weapons, but this environment will be an advantage to her. Most of the old Fire Nation soldiers aren't that coordinated in a wooded area like this. Suki can take them down without a problem."

Sokka nodded his head in agreement, "Right…"

She could see his body suddenly stiffen, "Why were you traveling with him?"

She tried to catch his eye, but he wouldn't let her, "It was for you Sokka, and if I had known Suki was with you, it would have been for her, too."

He kept his gaze fixated on the floor, "For me?"

Even though he couldn't see her, she nodded her head, "He said that you would be killed if I didn't do as he said." She recalled to him the scene on the loading dock.

He clinched his fists in frustration, "You know you didn't have to do that, you should have known that I would have been able to get away."

Her heart sank, "But I didn't know…"

"Then why didn't you get Aang? You could have gotten away from Ozai easily enough at that moment."

She realized that she had conveniently left Aang out when she retold her story, "… Aang and I had an argument, I wasn't going to home to visit, I was going home for good… it seems stupid now, I should have gone to Aang."

His composure stiffened more, "Yeah, you should have." His tone of voice was harsh, the harshest it had been when directed toward her.

She stood and clenched her fists, "Sokka, I know I messed up, but-

"Why were you kissing him?" Sokka remained where he was, still refusing to look at her.

She clutched the material of her cloak nervously, then suddenly became angered, "Why is it me?"

"What?"

"Why was _I _the one kissing _him_? I'll have you know that he kissed me! And he didn't even kiss me, not really!" A sickening feeling consumed her every time she said 'kiss.'

He stood, meeting her eyes for the first time, "You still let him!"

She flung her arms dramatically about her, "I didn't let him! I was shocked by what he was doing! I couldn't think straight!"

Tears filled her blue eyes as she waited for her brother to reply, but he remained silent. A wind blew through the open window, causing the few solitary lanterns to flicker. It cast wavering shadows across the room until the light completely vanished. At her brother's next statement, she left like her reason had died with the flames of the lanterns.

"Whatever…I'm going to find something to eat." Through the dark, she felt him pass her, and knew he opened the door when light suddenly filled the room, "You can have the bed. I'll sleep on the couch." With that, he closed the door loudly, leaving her in darkness once more.

Her mind was spinning. Sokka had never spoken to her that way before. With weak legs, she carried herself over to the small bed and sat down on the thin covering. He was just upset and worried about Suki. With time, he would calm down; she hoped that he would calm down. She just couldn't stand how uncharacteristically he was acting. Of course, this wasn't a normal situation. Sighing, she flopped down on the bed, determined to force herself into going to sleep.

**xXx Ozai xXx**

Hikaru kneeled before him, shacking under his hostile gaze, "How could you have let her escape? I thought it was a simple enough order, to keep her here, apparently I was mistaken." His voice was cold and venomous.

Hikaru's eyes darted nervously from side to side, "A thousand apologies, my Lord." He rose from his kneeing position, "I swear, I will retrieve her, and the boy, too." He gave himself a moment to think, "Those brats are probably heading to the docks, I will go there myself." deeply, he bowed, and started on his own way

"I will go deeper into the forest." Ozai certainly wanted to give Hikaru a punishment, but that wasn't as important as finding Katara.

"My Lord?" He gave Ozai a questioning look.

"It is foolish to claim that you know which way they went; I shall not presume that they choose the shore for their destination."

Hikaru immediately turned, "Then I will go with you, my Lord."

Ozai could fell his blood boil, "No, both areas should be searched." Honestly, if he stayed with Hikaru, the incompetent ex-soldier would end up in a situation similar as Lee. Luckily, Hikaru accepted his plan without any further resistance and walked away.

He started to make his way through the suffocating thickness of the trees, letting his thoughts consume him. Katara would pay for this, but not as much as her brother. How dare she leave in such a way, he didn't see how she could. She wasn't some stupid little girl, at least he thought she wasn't; this only seemed to prove her foolishness. He could feel the power building up inside of him, and he could soon put it to good use.

He would have to teach her both respect and obedience….

* * *

**Love, hugs, and fireflakes to all who review!**


	12. Family Issues

**xXx Chapter 12 xXx**

**xXx Family Issues xXx**

Through the darkness, Katara could hear the dull chirping of birds; they sounded far off, as if a thick barrier existed between her and the feathered creatures. As she slipped further away from her deep slumber, the twittering became cheerful and lively. Soon, more sounds from the outside world joined in. With a sepulchral groan, she tentatively opened her eyes. The light in the room was like that of a flame hidden behind a thick piece of wax paper. She feared that if she was to blink, in order to clear the blurry image, her eyes would remain closed. Lazily, she rubbed the sleep away from her eyes and hoisted herself up. Since her accommodations were still bathed in the same dim light, she wearily searched for a window.

She frowned at seeing the windows that were present; they all consisted of close, overlapping panels. Weekly, she reached for the one positioned directly above her bed and leaned her weight against it. It didn't budge. With numb fingers, she pulled against the panels and then the frame itself. The same results came. These windows were only designed to let air in; and more than likely, to keep people out. She didn't find the possibility of being in an unstable place very reassuring, which was what the defensive window treatments seemed to imply. Pressing her face against the panels, she peered out to see people casually roaming the dirt streets. It didn't look like she was in an unfriendly village. Perhaps she was just being oversensitive. She pressed herself closer to the un-opening window and peered up at the sky. With the amount of people and the brightness from the sun, it seemed to be midday.

"You're awake."

She turned to see who had spoken the statement (because it certainly wasn't asked as a question) and saw Sokka sitting on the coach. His posture was much like it was last night; his elbows were placed on his knees, giving him a slopping posture. And just like last night, he wasn't looking at her. Hastily, she rose from the bed, not bothering to straighten out the sheets like she normally would.

She wrung her hands once or twice before speaking, "Yeah… so are you," she took in a shaky breath, "did you sleep well?" She frowned at her pathetic question, but she wasn't sure what to say to her still distraught brother.

"I am… and no, I didn't." His voice was strained and low.

Unable to stand seeing Sokka that way, she ran across the room and flung her arms around him. The coach squeaked noisily when she crashed onto it. With his slumped posture, she nearly knocked him over, but he managed to steady himself. After a moment's hesitation, he shifted his body until he was able to give her an equal embrace.

She spoke through broken sobs into his shoulder, "I'm sorry Sokka, I'm so sorry. I know you're disappointed and upset, but you need to understand how sorry I am."

He pushed her away (but not repulsively) and ran his hand across his face; he was probably trying to hide the fact that he had been crying as well, "I'm not angry at you Katara. I was at first, but how could I stay mad at my little sister? Especially when she thought she was helping," he coughed down a groan of distress, "I'm just worried about Suki. I'm really worried; you said _he _has his powers back. Even if he doesn't know…if he finds her.."

Katara shook her head, unhooked her arms from around his neck, and placed them awkwardly on her own lap, "I think he can only use it when he becomes angry, very angry. Besides, if Suki was to see him, she would know to go in the opposite direction."

It was Sokka's turn to shake his head, "I don't think so, since she still thinks that he is powerless, she may try to capture him by herself... After we were captured, one of the men let it slip that Ozai had escaped, and that he had you. Actually, he told us that right to our faces; he thought he had us in the palm of his hand. Suki pretty much told them that we could take Ozai down without any problem."

She clutched at the fabric of her pants, "Maybe we can find her first."

He forced a sad smile, "I've been looking ever since sunrise," he took a moment to think, "I've been staying away from the pathways that twist through the forest. I don't think Suki would stay on the normal trail; it would be too risky."

"That makes sense, but that also gives us a lot of ground to cover," she stood and held out her hand, "so I guess we better get started, we need to search as much as possible before sundown."

He looked at her outstretched hand for a moment before taking it, even though he didn't rely on her for assistants in getting up, "Right, let's go." Once again, he gave another feeble grin.

As they approached the door, Sokka stopped short, and snatched up his cloak. She looked down; one side of her cloak was draped normally over her shoulder, but the other was twisted around her back. Quickly, she straightened it out and latched the buttons. With a fluid movement of her hand, she drew up her hood and opened the door. The hallway was a bit brighter than their room; half of the lanterns were lit. As she turned to close the door, she realized that none of theirs were.

As they walked down the hall, Sokka leaned closer and spoke low, "I think we should avoid drawing attention to ourselves. So keep conversations with strangers to a minimum."

She pondered on that for a moment, "Sokka, you do realize that we're wearing cloaks… and we are randomly coming and going from the forest."

He nearly tripped over his own feet, and then hastily cleared his throat, "Just smile and nod Katara, that's all I'm asking." His voice was an odd mixture of humor and desperation.

Their conversation ceased as they approached the part of the structure that could only be described as a shabby lobby. The same man they had meet last night sat behind the makeshift desk, and he was absentmindedly shifting through the papers laid in front of him. The same sour countenance played on his otherwise dull features, and it seemed as if he wasn't going to give them any notice.

Just as they opened the squeaky door, the man spoke up, "Going out again, are you? Where is it you wandered off to earlier this morning?"

Sokka pretty much ignored his question, "Expect us back around sundown."

As they completely left the building, she heard him cry out his response, "Sundown? Just where are you going, boy?"

"He's awfully nosy, isn't he?" She kept her voice near a whisper as she walked side by side with her brother.

"Yeah, but he's not very friendly, so it makes him an unpleasant person." His attempt at humor came off as dry and odd.

As they made their way through the village, they attracted some attention. Not that their cloaks were attention grabbing or anything… Despite all eyes on them, Sokka kept his gaze focused on the tree line. She decided to do the same. It helped some, but she could still feel their eyes on her back as they walked. It was odd that she didn't seem to notice the stares as much when she was with Ozai. Then again, she wasn't watching Sokka's every step like he might attack her.

A slight feeling of relief washed over her as they reached the cluster of trees, "Where do we begin?"

Sokka didn't hesitate, "We should follow the river. That's where I was searching earlier. We'll go through the part I've already been through pretty quickly, but I think we should still search it over."

They traveled through the thick accumulation of trees for only a few moments before coming across the flowing river. The glistening water, shinning sun, and chirping birds served as a great contrast with their solemn moods. She could only hope that Suki was okay, and that they could find her before Ozai could. Knowing him, he was already searching for her. And he would be angry. She had an unnerving feeling that he would be furious enough to firebend, but she couldn't bring herself to enlighten Sokka on her theory. With a sharp intake of breath, she became twice as determined to find Suki.

She noticed that Sokka was giving her a thoughtful look, "What?"

He shook his head, "Take the other side of the river. Move into the trees as deep as you can while keeping the river in view. I'm sure I don't have to tell you to not be too loud."

She nodded her head and skipped (somehow managing to do it dully) across the rocks that laid on top of the shallow waters. She glanced at Sokka and forced a smile. It wasn't hard to figure out the cause of his stare. He was worried about leaving her alone. She didn't blame him, but splitting up would be better for their search. They both began walking, peering longingly into the tightly packed trees. To ease Sokka's nerves, she stayed by the tree line, keeping herself visible to him. It wasn't long before they reached the point where Sokka had stopped, so they slowed down their pace; they needed to do a thorough search. They were also deeper into the forest, which meant that the surrounding growth of trees were becoming impossibly dense.

She caught Sokka's attention, and signaled that she was going to move away from the river. Even though he nodded in approval, she could see the doubt in his eyes. Slowly, she abandoned the comfort of the river. It was almost funny. Being on opposite sides of a river would usually symbolize a division, a barrier between two people; but the river was what kept them connected. As she moved further away, she could feel that connection fade. With every step she took, she moved further away from Sokka; with every step, she felt like she was moving closer to Ozai. Her stomach compulsively flipped and tightened.

Having that thought proved to be a mistake. It only made her think about the almost-kiss. She remembered how he held her gaze and gently brushed his lips against hers. The way her heart had knocked strongly against her chest. The warmth she felt from his body. She suddenly stopped and leaned against a tree. She felt her checks flare, but her stomach screamed at her in violent protest. If it hadn't been for her lack of food, she was certain that she would have become sick. But thanks to that sickening thought, her body ignored the fact that she hadn't ate since before sundown last night.

She shook her head, remembering her directive; and it wasn't to think about Ozai. She had to find Suki. She moved a bit further away from the river before turning to walk in her original direction. Surely Sokka would be doing the same thing; it would make it easier for them meet up again if they kept moving down stream. Stealthily, she moved against the foliage and roots that cluttered the forest floor, while making as little noise as possible. With as much skill as she could, she searched everywhere she passed; looking for broken twigs, branches and even foot prints. Periodically, she would stop and listen, straining her ears for any sound that might have originated from a human. She was doing this to not only search for Suki, but to avoid Ozai. And possibly Hikaru.

**xXx Later that Day xXx**

If she hadn't been use to such travels, she would definitely be complaining about her aching feet. They did in fact hurt, but she had learned to deal with it a long time ago. She frowned at her lack of progress (which was no progress at all) and the sun was starting to dip lower into the sky. She instantly stopped, realizing just how close it was to sundown. Sokka wanted to be back in the village by sundown. With how deep they were into the forest, they wouldn't be back until well after midnight. Fearing the worst, she sprinted (as quietly as she could) back to the river.

When she reached her destination, she came to a skidding halt right in front of the water line. Wildly, she whipped her head back and forth, searching for her brother. When she didn't see him, she ran down the river a little further, and did the same in the opposite direction when she didn't get any positive results. Backtracking failed her as well. She came to a halt and once again looked in both directions. She could fell the panic welling up inside of her.

"Sokka!" She hissed through gritted teeth, trying not to attract any undesired attention.

After trying this a dozen more times, she gave up and cupped her hands around her mouth, "Sokka!" Her anxiety filled voice rang through the unresponsive forest.

Without another thought, she darted across the rapidly moving water with minimum effort. She proceeded into the forest, and dashed between the masses of trees. They revealed nothing to her. She continued her trek through the wooded area, calling out her brother's name every now and then. She knew she shouldn't be so loud, but she was too concerned about the others to put her own safety first. The tree limbs scratched against her face as she continued her run through the forest, and the roots tripped her up from time to time. All of that faded into nothingness as the brother continued to evade her.

She collapsed against the forest floor and leaned helplessly on a thin tree. Her breaths came in sort pants and tears blurred her red eyes. The search for Sokka and Suki had ended in failure. Wearily, she dragged her head up to look at the partially empty town; most of everyone had retired to their homes. Her only hope was that Sokka returned to the inn without her. She composed herself as best she could (this attempt was not a success) and entered the village. At first, no one paid her any notice, but they did when her pace uncontrollably increased.

She was running again by the time she reached the inn, and she crashed through the door. Once again she skidded to a stop, taking her place in the center of the dimly lit room. The man behind the desk looked at her with a bored expression.

She was so caught up in her problems that she didn't hear the door closing behind her.

She took in a jagged breath, "Has my brother come back yet?"

Something odd happened. That man, the one who had always worn a bored or irritated expression suddenly smiled. But it wasn't a friendly one; only one corner of his lip had pulled up, forming a callus smirk. His eyes turned harder as he leaned back in his chair. His image completely changed. She stood her ground, waiting for him to explain his odd actions.

"No, I'm afraid the Water Tribe boy hasn't returned," he let his chair fall back into place and then leaned his elbows against the desk, "and I don't expect him to be returning any time soon."

Her heart skipped a beat as she stared at the man before her. A million thoughts bombarded her all at one. How did he know Sokka was from the Water Tribe? What would make him say Sokka wouldn't be back? Had this been a trap? She suddenly remembered what Sokka had told her; Ozai has men everywhere. This man wasn't some random Earth Kingdom citizen, he must be a former Fire Nation soldier. She didn't want to believe that assumption, but she was unable to come up with anything else.

Whatever he was, she was certain that she could take him. She forced her rigid body into a fighting stance and kept her eyes locked on him. Confusion started to set in when he remained where he was; it seemed like he wasn't going to make any move against her. Her uncertainty must have been written all over her face, because he finally spoke.

"If you are going to insist on fighting, I won't be your opponent…" His eyes flickered to something that was behind her.

While still keeping the man in her peripheral vision, she turned. A gasp escaped from her upon seeing two burly men guarding either side of the closed door.

The man behind the desk spoke again, "I'm sure the Fire Lord has wasted enough of his time searching for you. Won't he be pleased to learn that his little pet came right to us?" All three of the men chuckled.

Her checks flared at the 'pet' comment, "Don't you mean the ex-Fire Lord?"

At that, then man rose from his chair, "The **true **Fire Lord, you insolent child!"

One of the guards snorted, "It seems the Fire Lord's pet isn't completely trained yet."

She turned on her heels to fully face the man who had just spoken, but she was cut off by the other guard before she could deliver her response, "I don't understand why he picked such a stubborn mutt, I always thought that he resented a challenge. Not that she's something he can't handle."

The first guard decided that he had something more to say, "Stubborn mutt or not, she is pretty cute. I guess. For a Waterbender," he stroked his scruffy beard as if in thought, "I guess the Fire Lord just has an odd taste in women…in pets."

Something inside her snapped, she **would not **tolerate any more pet jokes. She jabbed her arms in front of her and jerked them back until they were back at her side; a wave of water filled the air directly in front of her and then split, taking down the two guards. The action also extinguished the fire that flickered in the nearby lamps. She then spun around and sent the water to the wide-eyed man behind the desk. The torrent slammed him against the wall, but she didn't waste time to see if he was going to stay down. Her legs automatically made a mad dash for the door but as she passed through it her ankle was caught, and she went down. With her free leg, she tried to push herself up, only to be pulled back into the dark room. She didn't attack; her hands were too busy digging into the soft earth. Her attempt to keep herself where she was failed. Her nails were now scratching against the wooden surface of the inn's floor.

Once she accepted that plan as no good, she flipped herself around and sent the last bit of her water to her capture. He stumbled back and disappeared into the darkness of the room. The other guard must have stayed down, because her next escape attempt was a success. She bolted down the street, hopping she could make it to the cover of the forest. Once reaching it, she did not stop; her pace barely slowed. She knew they would follow, so she needed to put as much distance as possible between them. It wasn't a matter of being afraid, she needed to find Sokka. The man's comment about Sokka not returning was enough to put her in a state of panic. She had a sickening feeling that when she found her brother, she would also find Ozai.

* * *

**Love, hugs, and fireflakes to all who review!**


	13. The Attack

**xXx Chapter 13 xXx**

**xXx The Attack xXx**

The forest was unusually serene for such a warm summer night, or perhaps she just couldn't hear her surroundings through the pounding of her heart. The towering trees were nothing more than blurs of brown and green as she zipped past, and the roots and holes that were scattered across the ground received little attention. Ignoring the roots and holes played against her; she tripped more than occasionally. Still, she couldn't force herself to pay them any mind; so she would stumble and simply continue on as best she could. The river was the only thing of importance to her; while Sokka wasn't there when she last looked, it was her best plan. Staying near her main source of power was the ideal option. Especially if she had to fight Ozai, which she would do without hesitation if he had hurt Sokka or Suki.

Through all her panic, she tried to raise her courage, but it was more difficult than she thought. The mere idea of battling with Ozai was enough to make her dizzy. She didn't think she was strong enough to beat him, not if he had managed to regain full control over his powers during her absence. Another wave of dizziness washed over her. Desperately, she wanted to tell herself that both Sokka and Suki had managed to avoid him, but that would be hoping for far too much. Luck just wasn't with her today. With that realization, she pumped her legs faster, forcing herself to move quicker than she ever thought possible.

For the first time since her entrance of the forest, she glanced over her shoulder, searching for the people from the inn. No one was to be found. She gave a sigh of relief, even though she wasn't very concerned about them; at worst they would only serve as a distraction, which she didn't need. She turned her attention back to the front, now scanning the dark forest floor for the river. Normally, she would listen for it, but her heartbeat was still the dominate sound in her ears. With how dark it was, she would probably step right into the river before actually seeing it.

**xXx Ozai xXx**

A cool night breeze fluttered though the silent air, sending puffs of dark smoke down the winding river. The hazy smoke cleared away slowly, making every breath only a little easier than the last. The moon, shrouded by ominous rain clouds, gave insufficient illumination; but he didn't really need the light. Muffled groans informed him that his latest victims were still close by. As the gurgled groans and whimpers traveled through the warm air, he slowly flexed his right hand. He could still feel the violent power pulsing through his veins; the anger had faded only slightly with his last deliverance of punishment. When more groans broke his train of thought, his lips stretched into an eager smirk. An eagerness that was meant for Katara; he would not waste anymore of his anger on his current captives, not yet. Katara would pay for her disobedience, and he would grant her no mercy.

He suddenly sighed in frustration; this girl was requiring too much of his attention. There were more important things he should be concerning himself with. He reached into an inner pocket of his cloak and pulled out a slender box made of a dark wood of some kind. He ran a finger across the intriguing, yet meaningless design which was etched into the weathered container. Attentively, he pulled up on the rusted latch that kept the box closed. A crumpled piece of parchment was revealed; he removed the paper and carefully unfolded it. This part always made him frown; the writing was nothing more than a sloppy scrawl, with an ink that had faded with time. There were also creases in the parchment from the fold, which had rubbed away even more of the ink. Despite these inconveniences, he believed the parchment was still giving him the important facts.

The Fire Nation troops were proving to be a problem to his plan; he needed to leave the mainland. For the past few days, he had been revising his plans, creating different options. At long last, he had an exceptional strategy. As soon as he collected Katara, they would leave for Makapu Village and then proceed to the coast line. His destination was an island, the one mentioned on the parchment, which was directly south of Makapu Village. If everything was going as planned, he also had a way to get to the island. A way without being stopped by the Fire Nation soldiers that patrolled the coast. He wasn't certain if the island contained the actual object, or if it was just another clue. Nevertheless, once reaching the island, he would be one step closer to reclaiming his throne, and defeating the Avatar.

Before any of that could happen, Katara needed to be taught her lesson; he just had to wait for her to find him.

Once again, painful groans brought him back to the present.

**xXx Katara xXx**

She couldn't help it, after so much running, she had to stop. Her heaving frame rested against a vine covered tree, and her heartbeat was slowly returning to its normal pace. A sweaty hand clutched at the material of her shirt and stray strands of hair clung to her glistening face and neck. After taking a deep, calming breath, she flung her hand away from her, sending most of the sticky sweat away. As she prepared to push herself off of the tree, something caught her attention. The sound of water. A spark of hope ignited inside of her as she followed the familiar whispers of her element. As she moved closer and closer to the glimmering source of life, everything seemed to be right with the world. The comforting sound of flowing water eased her panic and filled her with a peaceful sensation.

She could barely see it when she reached it; the water was faintly glistening in the pale moonlight. That tiny glimpse of the river only lasted a few moments; clouds concealed then moved away from the moon at random. With the river slipping in and out of visibility, she followed its path slowly. As she walked, she did so lightly, listening for any sound that may lead her to Sokka or Suki. She didn't hear much, not even the callings of animals. That didn't seem good, either they were scared of something, or a storm was coming in. Neither option seemed too appealing. Without her realizing it, her pace began to quicken, but it never escalated back to a full scale run. The majestic effect of the water was beginning to dwindle away. She slowly felt the panic seeping back into her mind.

Rather it was panic, surprise, or fear, she didn't know; either way, this unnamed emotion filled her up when she heard gasps of pain. It took all of her willpower to not run after the noise. Instead, she kneeled down and stealthily moved forward, all while wishing that she could become invisible. As she moved closer, the groans and sobs became more audible, but they were still barely a whisper. Even though she wanted to move quicker, she forced herself to go slower. She moved inch by inch, raising and lowering her feet every time. When she placed her right foot down, it acted as a trigger; a wall of fire sprang up in front of her, causing her to stumble back. Instantly, she stood up, scanning the area.

Her heart nearly jumped out of her chest as she saw Sokka and Suki sprawled on the charred ground. Without thinking, she cleared a path through the wall of fire (at the moment, it didn't matter where it had come from) and kneeled by both of them. She had stopped a few feet short of them, simply because her legs refused to carrier her any further. This proved to be a mistake; another wall of fire erupted in front of her, separating her from Sokka and Suki. With great effort, she pushed herself back up to a standing position. While she tentatively turned, she thought about where the fire had come from, and how she was going to face Ozai when she completed her movement.

The flames swayed wildly in the night breeze, casting odd and eerie shadows across everything. This made Ozai's form, which was only a few feet away from her, seem even more menacing. The lighting was too dull to completely reveal his body; his face couldn't be seen at all. But she didn't need to see he expression in order to know that he was infuriated. She remembered her earlier thoughts, about how she would fight him if he hurt Sokka or Suki, and she wasn't planning on backing down from it. As she moved into a fighting stance, she was immediately interrupted.

"Do you really believe it is in your best interest to attack me?" His voice was hollow, but it somehow contained more anger and venom than Katara had ever heard.

She was so consumed with trying to decipher his new tone of voice that she didn't move, and Ozai must have taken it as a challenge. A ball of colorful fire came hurtling toward her, and she quickly dove out of the way. It wasn't fast enough; she could feel the stabbing burn on her arm before she even hit the ground. For the moment, she didn't pay any attention to it; she had to move away from the others, they were hurt enough as it was, and they didn't need to be bombarded by any more fireballs. She had wasted only a second on the thought before sprinting away from them, and sent daggers of frozen water toward Ozai. As she reached the distance she wanted, she saw another wall of fire, one that melted her frozen projectiles while they were still in midair. The wall didn't disappear with the shards of ice, instead, it perused her. With a powerful wave of her arms, she summoned up a thick barrier of water to protect her.

As the vindictive flames burned through her element, she managed to pull up more water. Thankfully, she managed to bend the water faster than the fire could burn through it. A majestic steam rolled all around her, making it difficult to see, but she quickly pushed it away. Before the steam had completely vanished, a stream of fire came at her, but she successfully jumped out the way (she was certain that she waterbended as she did so), and she did a role as she smashed into the ground, which carried her further. This proved useful since another stream of fire crashed into spot she would have been in if she hadn't rolled, and before the role reach completion, she sent out another wave of water. She pushed her palms into the dirt, preparing to push herself back up, but a shimmer caught her eye. It wasn't the familiar glistening of water, but the sheen of a sword. It wasn't Sokka's, but he must have been using it.

Despite the fact that she wasn't trained in the art of the sword, she picked up the heavy weapon, and then flinched at the pain it caused her injured arm. With the discomfort it produced, she decided that it would be futile for her to swing it around. As she looked up from the blade, she noticed that everything was once again shrouded in darkness; all of her waterbending had doused the surrounding fire. Everything was also silent, and Ozai was using it to his advantage; he had ceased in his attack and was waiting for her to make the next move.

Slowly, she bent down and placed the weighty sword aside, hoping that she wasn't making too much noise. Her hand had barely left the hilt when she was knocked to the ground. She gasped in surprise and pain when she was pinned down; surprised because she didn't expect Ozai to tackle her, and in pain because he was clutching her burnt arm. To her displeasure, the gasp morphed into a cry; she could only imagine the look of satisfaction on Ozai's face.

He intentionally tightened the grip on her injured arm, "What were you were you hoping to accomplish by running away from me? Surely, you didn't have any allusions that I wouldn't find you?"

The pain in her arm was becoming unbearable, "Let me go!"

A dark snicker reached her ears, "Let you go? Give me one reason why I shouldn't kill you."

She ignored his threat, she needed to heal her burn, as well as the burns on Sokka and Suki, "Please, let me go!" She hated herself for begging, but she wasn't in any potion to attack him.

"Do you really think that will have any effect on me?" He almost sounded disappointed.

Before she had the chance to respond, she was jerked up by her arm (the injured one) and was dragged over the river. Without much of a pause, she was pushed back down to the ground, and her knees slashed into the cold water. She could feel Ozai standing directly behind her.

"Heal the burn on you arm." It was said with absolutely no concern.

This caught her off guard, "Wh-What?" Despite her curiosity, she didn't look back at him.

"Now." His voice was full of power and authority, as if he was talking to a subordinate.

She may have hated that, but her arm was more important. As quickly as she could, she coated her burnt arm in a layer of water and let the element work its magic. With weary eyes, she watched as the blemish faded away, and gave a sigh of relief when it completely vanished. Her mind instantly went to her brother and Suki; they need her help, too. Unfortunately, she couldn't think of a way to convince Ozai to let her do it.

Without any warning, she was pulled back up (and she was far to close to Ozai for comfort), "Please…" Her plead for Sokka and Suki was cut off.

He spoke slowly and in a taunting manner, "What do you think I should do with them, Katara?" He pulled her closer, "I've been kind enough to let you heal your heal your wounds, but I'm afraid that's the limit of my generousness." His wicked smile was visible with their close proximity.

Her eyes were becoming blurred with tears, "I…but, I…." She forced herself to stop, knowing that she would break down if she continued.

"You're not making a very convincing argument, Katara. If you don't care…"

She forced herself to look into his burning eyes, "Don't kill them."

His smirk widened into a taut leer, "I don't need to deal any more damage for them to die."

A few tears rolled down her pale checks, "Let me help them." She knew it was futile to plead with him, but she had to try.

"They've been quite troublesome; it would be easier if they were no longer a concern." He still sounded angry, but yet very amused.

She glared up at him, suddenly forgetting her fears, "You can't, I won't let you."

He laughed, placed a hand on her check and roughly yipped away a tear, "You Won't let me? I'm afraid you don't understand…" she could feel his hand warming, "I can't let your disobedience go unpunished."

She fidgeted underneath his grip, "Then what was that, was that not punishment?" She glanced at her arm, brother and Suki.

"…Punishments like that have been delivered far less serious acts." His leering smile suddenly vanished, replaced by disdainful grimace.

Before she knew what had happened, her body was spun around and then pressed against Ozai and a tree, "You seem to have forgotten who I am," his breath was hot against her ear, "I have been far too tolerant with you, and you have exhausted my patients."

She squirmed under his iron grip, and spoke in a stained whisper, "I know exactly who you are; you were nothing more than a malevolent tyrant who used your powers to scare and manipulate others! Zuko, for whatever reason, hoped that your time in prison would change you for the better, but you're just as merciless as before!"

Pride and determination welled inside of her as she spoke, but it quickly diminished into regret. In her current position, Ozai could kill her without much of an effort. Fearing the worst, she closed her eyes and prepared for another attack; if she was lucky, the blast wouldn't kill her and she could get the chance to counter attack. Instead, a low and dark chuckle emanated from him, and she was suddenly thrown aside. She was so surprised by his by his choice of action that she crashed blindly into the ash covered ground.

She looked up in time to him run a hand down the length of his beard, "I believe that I have been quite merciful," he moved a few steps closer, "under any other circumstances, someone in your position would be dead."

He paused as a flash of light enthralled the sky, which was followed by a crack of thunder, "I'm not going to kill you, I still believe that you are going to play an important role in my plan." His leering smile appeared again.

Once hearing that her life was safe, she cast her gaze to Sokka and Suki, who were still groaning in pain, and unable to move…..

She wiped the tears from her eyes and stood; casting away her fearful pleading, "Let me heal them. You can keep them captive again- they were just trying to help me, they shouldn't die for that."

**xXx Ozai xXx**

He listened halfheartedly as Katara brought up the other two once again. The pleading look in her eyes had vanished, being replaced by a strong sense of resolve…. It would be simple enough to hold them captive again; he would just have to provide better security, which he could do. He wouldn't be underestimating them again. In all honesty, he would prefer them dead, but that would make the girl completely unreasonable. It would be counterproductive. The prospect of them living still bothered him; simply because his powers were still begging to be used. It seemed as if his blood was literary boiling. Every muscle was tense with excitement, ready to perform to motions that could end the lives of everyone here.

He inhaled deeply, trying to calm his fury; but his fists were clenched at his side. This attempt of self-control was not enjoyable; it wasn't as if he ever had to restrain himself before. He clung to the only option he had left; forcing himself to save all of his power for the destruction of the Avatar. As well as his so called son. That thought caused his smirk to reappear. Yes, that would suffice. As a malevolent joy overwhelmed him, he wondered which death he would enjoy causing more; the Avatar's, or Zuko's. His malicious thoughts roamed farther; for Katara's defiance, perhaps he should make certain that she is witness to the event. With her connection to the two, he knew seeing them die would be the best possible form of torture.

Satisfied with his newest scheme, he decided to stop his attacks, and to let Katara heal the others. Only when it was too late would she realize the price for their lives.

With a humored voice he said, "Just heal them. You're not to speak to them."

His amusement grew as he saw the look of astonishment on her young face.

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**Love, hugs, and fireflakes to all who review!**


	14. The Unexpected Surrender

**xXx Chapter 14 xXx**

**xXx The Un-expected Surrender xXx**

Katara kneeled between Sokka and Suki, and a lair of water was wrapped around both of them, rippling methodically across their blistered skin. Most of Sokka's torso was withered and red, some of his hair was even singed. With pain shinning in his blue eyes, he glanced between her and Suki. She knew he wanted her to fully heal Suki first, without focusing on him, but his body had more damage to it; she could easily imagine him taking a blow for Suki. Even though she couldn't deal with it now, she noticed a slash, which was weeping merciless tear of red, upon Sokka's left arm.

Suki's burns were less severe; her arm was a sickening red color, along with her stomach and some of her hip. There was an unusual amount of blood coming from her hip, but she couldn't do anything about it until the burn was healed. With uncertainty, she guessed that she had also hit her head; she kept slipping in and out of consciousness. Actually, she felt almost certain of it; it would take a concussion to keep Suki down, especially since her burns weren't life-threatening.

It was Sokka's burns that concerned her the most (and it wasn't just because he was her brother), they were far worse than Suki's. She pushed herself to work faster, hoping that he hadn't been like this for long. Burns were always more difficult to heal when they had time to set. She wanted to ask Ozai who long they been like this, but she didn't want to take the chance of him changing his mind.

Once Sokka and Suki were safe, however, she wouldn't be playing the role of some docile little girl. As if hurting her friends and family didn't produce enough reason for her to fight him, he only made the desire stronger when he told her she could heal them. It was his voice that had infuriated her; it was filled with an amusement that made her skin crawl. She wondered just how much he was underestimating her; it wasn't as if she made it through the war by hiding behind her friends.

After many more healing sessions, their burns appeared to be gone. It was hard to tell, she was working in almost complete darkness; Ozai wasn't going to give her any flame to work by. The only light source came from the moon (which was usually concealed behind puffs of dark clouds) and random strikes of lighting. Even though she wasn't particularly skilled at wrapping a wound, Sokka's arm was neatly taken care of. Honestly, she wished that he would just pass out or something; he was attempting to get up. It wasn't entirely a protective nature that kept him down- this was her fight now. With a pleading gaze from her, Sokka stopped struggling.

Casting her thoughts about dealing with Ozai aside, she turned to Suki and took a closer look at the hip that was bleeding. It looked as she might have landed on a jagged rock; the gash was uneven and blotchy. Quickly, she patched up the laceration and moved up to her head. Tentatively, she ran her finger across Suki's scalp until she located the spot of injury; it didn't seem too bad. She should be fine in a couple of hours.

Suki was currently unconscious again, so she didn't have to worry about her, but she had to physically hold Sokka down, "Stop moving, I need to get you out of here, and I can't do that if you start another fight with Ozai."

She wasn't concerned about Ozai overhearing her; he was a dozen or so feet away talking with a robed man. Possibly the one that would deal with Sokka and Suki. This newcomer had shown up mere moments ago.

Sokka pushed against her restraining hands, "You can't possible think that I'm going to leave you alone with that maniac."

"I don't think you're going to have a choice."

"If the three…" he glanced at Suki, "If the two of us work together, we can take him."

She sighed, "No, Sokka, this is my fight, besides," she leaned closer, "I know you can get away from the guards again, and when you do, I need you tell Aang everything that has happened. He needs to know where to begin looking," she lowered her voice, "I don't know where we're going, but he's said that we are leaving the mainland. I think we're going to an island or something."

"But, Katara…"

"I know you want to protect me, but we need an actual plan, and we need Aang."

Sokka nodded his head, without hiding his displeasure, and sank back down, "Fine," he paused for a moment, "you said this was your fight… Katara, you can't face him by yourself."

She lied through her teeth, "Fine, I'll wait for Aang, but you have to hurry."

"I will, don't worry, it will be simple to get back to the Fire Nation with all the soldiers at the docks."

She suddenly sensed that someone was behind her, "You're done tending to their wombs?"

She stood and turned to see the newcomer, "Yes."

Without another word to her, he moved around her and dragged Sokka up by the shoulder. Wearily, she watched as the man bound Sokka and started leading him away. Then, as if appearing out of thin air, another man picked up Suki and followed after the first. She wondered briefly if Ozai had these men hiding under rocks. Before they disappeared in the forest completely, Sokka glanced back at her, wearing a look that warned her to not do anything rash. His wordless warning fell on deaf ears.

She stood in a static flawlessness while she thought through her strategy; she knew this attack would be better than the last, even though a flaw had made itself present. The moon was not full and it was still obscured by thick clouds. The good news; the sun wasn't out to strengthen Ozai. Perhaps she had a chance. While closing her eyes, she took a deep breath and cleared her mind. She was also listening for Ozai to move closer. Her feelings were mixed; she knew this wasn't the smartest choice, but she had to stand up to Ozai.

His echoing footsteps finally reached her straining ear; when they finally stopped, she believed that he was close enough. She spun to face him, but kept her demeanor relaxed and casual. His hood was down, which allowed his amber eyes to be properly seen. This always distracted her, but she found it easier to ignore the disconcerting effect of his eyes this times. Despite the warm color of his eyes, they were extremely cold.

She came to the decision that she wanted to voice her displeasure before acting upon it, "I was the one that ran away. You should have taken it out on me, not on my brother and Suki."

The corner of his mouth tugged up into a smile, "Technically, they ran away, as well."

She didn't let that… truth deter her, "You were angry with me." Her voice had taken on a more strained tone.

His sneer remained, "I don't see what your point is; their fate was a part of your punishment."

Her checks flared, "My mistake was not their burden to bare!" Somehow, she couldn't believe that he would do such a thing.

He moved closer, "Then, perhaps, you will consider your actions more carefully next time."

As if sensing her failure of reasoning with the man in front of her, the sky let lose all of the rain it had been holding; it came down in a strong and sudden waterfall that blurred the vision. Keeping the rain water at bay would be an easy task for her, but she didn't want to do anything that might benefit Ozai. Instead of drawing power from the raindrops, her bending powers claimed assistance from the surging river; the blow was inaudible over the deafening downpour of rain.

Through the all darkness and rain, she had barely been able to see Ozai's silhouette, and the successful hit caused him to vanish completely into the watery shadows. If he had breathed a gasp of surprise or cry of pain, it was lost in the stormy night. Declining fire its entrance, she struck out again with a graceful motion; transparent slivers pierced through the black air and echoes of the impact sounded off. Risking the chance of a ball of golden fire flying out to her, she paused, waiting for some sound from the former tyrant. With anticipation, she strained her ears, hoping to signal out something of importance over the hammering element. She also kept a wary eye out for the tiniest spark of fire.

It was her own fault for expecting such an obvious move, but she was surprised nonetheless; her knees buckled upon the collision of something against the back of her legs. Despite the surprise attack, she was able to brace herself for the fall; she only managed to avoid a face full of mud. Without hesitation, she rolled off to the side and rose from the ground in a stumbling manner. She sent a torrent of water in Ozai's general direction; just enough to put some distance between them.

After that, she then jumped so that she was standing in the water of the surging river; with a leap away from the liquid surface, the water was solidified. With a sloshing sound heard only by her, she landed on the block of ice and pushed herself away. With the howling wind, pounding rain, and turbulent river, she had to focus the majority of her power on keeping her current potion. Which also required her concentration. This would explain why she caught off guard yet again.

Her slippery boat suddenly trashed back and forth under and new and unwelcome weight. Even though she tried to steady the chunk of ice, it toppled over in the end. Her faithful element forced its way into her lungs while it pulled her into a deep and tight embrace. With her abilities, she rose to the surface with relative ease, and expelled the water from her lungs. The next step she took was to form another lump of ice, which she promptly took hold of. Without her coat, the ice was a harsh substance to bear, but she clung to it regardless.

The vehement waves dragged and pulled on her, but she managed to steady herself. Despite her power over the water, the darkness that shrouded the new battlefield played against her. She couldn't see the shore, nor could she see Ozai. Hopefully, he couldn't see her either. Thankfully, the flow of the river directed her to one side of the shore. After the frosted boat dug into the soft land that bordered the water, she threw herself off of it and stumbled to her feet.

As she swept away the chilly water, a flare of light erupted at least fifty paces from where she stood. On the same side of the river. Her anger and frustration notwithstanding, she found Ozai's ability to reach dry land impressive. Many others would have been swept away with the dark current. She breathed in a deep, calming breath, which was obscured from human ears over the maelstrom of rain.

She could feel her strength and chi fading; controlling her makeshift boat in the storm affected waters required much of her energy. The surly weather itself was playing against her as well. Risking Ozai's notice, she made the rain cease and hover above her head. Even though she knew she would just become drenched again, she cast the water away from her cloths.

"Katara!" Ozai's strong voice overpowered the pounding of the rainfall, "Stop this at once!"

Surrendering never crossed her mind; even though the conditions were harsh, they were playing to her favor. As she prepared to attack again, a strong hand closed around her wrist, and she was jerked forward. She gasped; how in the world did he manage to close the distance between them so quickly?

"Katara-" A fire flickered to life in his hand; giving off a small circle of light.

Despite the cold, she felt her cheeks flare with anger, "No, you can't order me around, not this time! It's night, were by a river and its raining! The odds of winning are with me, not you!" Her advantages notwithstanding, her voice still carried an air of desperation.

His eyes seemed to burn with the flame in his hand, but he still looked tired (but by no means defeated), "I won't let you escape me. You'll have to do nothing short of killing me to get away," surprisingly enough, he wasn't smirking, "You think you can do that?"

She took a moment to think, "You wouldn't put your life on the line in order to keep me here."

His expression remained unreadable, "Do not presume to know what I will and won't do…. Furthermore, you have proven to be tiresome and problematic- the plans I have you _will_," his grip tightened, "come to be."

Despite his efforts to frighten her, she had no intentions of backing down, and Ozai seemed to realize this, "What do you plan to do if you get away from me? You won't find them again, and they won't be able to escape this time," he pulled her closer so that his eyes were visible even through the darkness, "I don't know if you have thought of this, but you are a traitor; you have been since the night you boarded that boat with me."

The panic that flashed through her eyes did not go unnoticed, "How did you think this would end? Even if you got away?"

She answered nervously, "You kidnapped me…"

Through the sounds of the storm, she heard a mirthless laugh, "You've still been a part of all of this-"

She cut him off, "I'm a victim!"

He tilted his head, "You believe that since Zuko is your friend, you will pardoned… What kind of example would he be setting if he did such a thing?" Suddenly, the flame in his hand vanished in a watery death.

"I… he would…"

She heard his hollow laugh again, "Let's pretend for a moment that I was to be caught. I would be put back in that jail cell…. And there might just be a certain blue-eyed Waterbender one cell over." He spoke slow and deliberately, letting every word sink in.

Lies. She repeated that over and over again inside her head. Lies. Despite her best efforts, those cold words, the ones that were meant to slay her defiance and determination, were somehow doing their job. It wasn't the threat that disconcerted her, it was the mere effort of ignoring them that doused her anger. Too much of her focus was required to keep his icy intimidations at bay. And she was tired, oh so tired. His burning eyes mixed with the bone chilling rain did nothing to encourage her. Still, she was fortunate enough to be able to move her eyes away from his.

Due to her silence, Ozai continued their one-sided conversation, "If that were to happen, you should consider yourself lucky; you would be dead if mine and Zuko's places were reversed."

In one last act of defiance, she spoke up, "Why are you talking about a what-if scenario? You would never believe in the thought of being captured. So, why should your theories matter?" She refused to meet his eyes.

She heard a brief laugh, but still declined the idea of eye contact, "I don't know, why don't you tell me why they matter?" His breath was hot against her ear.

Her numb limbs received a jolt of energy, only to become stiff at her sides. Her eyes, which could now only see the side if his head, widened and darted about frantically in their sockets. A pain suddenly engulfed her chest, and she realized that she was holding her breath. Even though her frozen body was screaming for air, she couldn't force the action. Her ice covered body suddenly noticed something else; there was one soul entity of warmth in this life draining storm. Ozai.

His warm breath was still fluttering across her neck. She swallowed hard, desperately trying to ignore how his body seemed to beckon her closer. With a quick, stiff movement, she took a very small step back. The warmth instantly vanished, and every part of her cried out in protest as the bitter cold engulfed her once more.

**xXx Ozai xXx**

Silently, he watched the odd manner in which Katara pulled away. This action was very subtle, especially in comparison with her normal jerky movements. Her form was rigid and stiff, her head bent down to stare at the muddy ground. He waited silently, waited for her insolent retort, but the pounding rain seemed to be his only companion. He moved but only slightly, hoping to gain a reaction, but none came.

Had she given up?

Regardless of his curiosity, he had grown tired of standing in the rain. If need be, he would carry Katara away kicking and screaming, whatever it takes to find shelter from these harsh elements. He was also growing tired, and didn't much feel like getting into another argument with the currently silent girl. Without much concern, he grabbed Katara by the arm (he felt her jerk and fidget) and turned her around. He withdrew his hand and placed it on her back, pushing her along. He felt her stumble time and time again. He could not ascertain the reason for her odd behavior. Honestly, as long as she kept quiet and reframed from attacking him, she could act as out-of-character as she wanted. Still… he wanted to know what had caused her to stop her resistance.

* * *

**Love, hugs, and fireflakes to all who review!**


	15. The Lion Turlte

**xXx Chapter 15 xXx**

**xXx The Lion Turtle xXx**

Rainwater poured over the cave opening, creating the allusion of a waterfall; the rain was heavy and came down in a white wall which could not be seen through. A small fire flickered in the center of the dank and dark cavern, casting eerie shadows upon the rock walls. Water drops, which fell from the cave's ceiling, caught the fire's light and glistened during their descent. The annoying _tap, tap _the droplets would usually produce were drowned out by the downpour of rain just outside. This cloudburst, which caused so many earlier problems, now acted as a rhythmic lullaby; it had a calming steadiness about it.

Both being tired and cold, Katara and Ozai sat around the red flame, as far away from each other as possible. Katara gazed at the fire, the wall, or the waterfall of rain; anything that wasn't Ozai. She felt strangely defeated and lost; this feeling was only enhanced by her less than cheerful surroundings. Her less than cheerful company. She dared a glance up at the hooded man in front of her; he was staring into the fire.

The flames seemed to grow and decrease in strength at random moments, which she found odd. It was almost as if he didn't have full control over it, but she knew that was far from true; the control he held over his element was profound and flawless. During her earlier journeys she had come across many Firebenders who just hurled their fireballs around like they were toys. As a confused feeling crashed in on her, she cast her gaze to the lackluster wall and simply stared. She allowed herself to think back on the event that caused her to so easily surrender…..

**xXx Flashback xXx**

As she stared up at Ozai, preparing herself to attack, something surged through her body like an electric shock…but not in the bad firebending way…Still, something odd did happen. Her body froze over, in a way unlike the rain had done. Everything seemed to drift away, including the glaring man that stood in front of her. Her eyes were still locked onto Ozai, but she wasn't really seeing him.

The remains of a whisper echoed all around her, she tried to move, to search for the sound, but her body would not heed the command. Despite this, she knew, almost instinctively, that the voice was not of the physical world. As the seconds passed, the voice inside her head grew louder; it was methodically slow and still continued to echo.

"_Stop now, you must not fight him. The battle to be fought will not occur on the mainland- it cannot occur here._"

Through her daze, she managed to ask the mysterious voice a question, "_What do you mean, why not here?_"

"_What is to come cannot transpire here._"

Even though the voice had to repeat itself, it did not sound annoyed. With great intensity, she listened for the stranger to continue, but nothing more was said. Slowly, Ozai, who seemed somewhat confused, came back into view.

**xXx End Flashback xXx**

Part of her retreat had been due to the warning from the monotone voice; the other part had been confusion. As Ozai had pushed her along, all she could do was wonder who the voice had belonged to. No one came to mind, no one at all. That mind numbing sound was simply inhuman. For the time being, the almost-kiss seemed unimportant; it was nearly forgotten. It was reduced to a little nagging sensation in the back of her mind that dulled in comparison to her newest interest. Perhaps, if she concentrated enough, the voice would come back to her.

**xXx Ozai xXx**

With mild interest, he watched as the flame in front of him fluctuated. His attention was somewhat scattered, so the fire didn't hold a solid intensity. Usually, he would not tolerate such sloppiness, but his anger had begun to fade; this allowed fatigue to creep in. For the umpteenth time that night, he glanced up at Katara, expecting a sudden outburst at any moment. She had been strangely quiet the whole night.

She was staring intently at the dull wall behind him and to the left. With certainty, he knew it held nothing of significance; it was just a way for her to avoid him. Briefly, he considered dragging her into a pointless conversation, but he quickly disregarded it. He was far too exhausted for anything of the sort. Desperately, he wanted to sleep, but he didn't trust Katara to stay put. With an inward groan, he realized it was going to be next to impossible to travel alone with her. At least while they were still on the mainland. He would have to find Hikaru. Regardless of his discomforts, one sleepless night wouldn't kill him.

His reluctance to sleep was caused mostly by the look of concentration on her dark face. He felt that he understood this girl quite well; such a look of focus would not bode well for him. Even though she gave up the fight, she could still be planning another escape attempt. At this particular moment, he resented the quality of defiance she held. It usually produced something…interesting. But it was tiresome now.

He was far too untrusting to let her personal thoughts be.

"What could you be thinking of, with such intensity?" Through his exhaustion he managed the usual mocking tone he used when speaking to her.

Quickly, her newly panicked eyes locked onto his, "What do you mean?"

He gave her a scornful, yet tired, smirk, "For your sake, I hope you're not designing another escape strategy."

Oddly enough, her panic seemed to die. He raised an eyebrow, what did she believe he had suspected?

**xXx Katara xXx**

She gave a sigh of relief as Ozai asked her about escaping, and it didn't go unnoticed. His already questioning glare seemed to grow. Panic, which had vanished just a moment ago, was making its second appearance. She pushed it down quickly. It was impossible for him to know anything about what she had been thinking. He couldn't know about the voice she had heard, and she had no intention of sharing the information….but he was clearly expecting some kind of response, and it wouldn't be good if he thought she was trying to escape….After much internal struggle, she had decided to listen to the mysterious voice. She would stay with the former tyrant for a bit longer.

She gave him a feeble answer, "I won't try to escape again…"

He didn't look convinced, not in the least bit, "Is that so?"

"You have my brother and Suki held captive." Katara gave an inward groan; she wouldn't even believe her.

"I can't imagine that fact diminishing your resolve."

As weariness set in, she turned away from him and flopped down onto the ground, "I don't care what you believe…"

Even though she could still feel his cold stare on her back, she closed her eyes. The downpour of rain and the crackling of the fire lulled her into an eventful sleep in no time at all.

**xXx Dream xXx**

Sparkling, dark blue waters clashed against a dirt brown shore. This piece of land laid beneath an endlessly black sky, dotted by little orbs of silvery light. Half of a moon glowed dully in the sky alongside the fierier spheres. Towering trees of pine green engrossed the chunk of land, which the water of the deep sea ebbed and flowed away from. Various creatures chirped and whined from within the walls of the brown and green fortress; these sounds echoed out into the dead, silent night. The melody of the animals and sea water was accompanied an odd rhythmic chanting, but the words couldn't be deciphered.

The gigantic geometric patterns that were carved into the mound of earth did not falter under the churning waters of the sea; they remained in place, as a contradictory symbol against time. Barnacles didn't even so much as dare to cling in the crevices of the carvings. The dew wet leaves of the trees did not yield to the direction of the wind; they swayed back and forth at their own time of choosing. 'Nocturnal' did not seem to be a classification here, for all of the island's creatures roamed free. It was as if the world surrounding this place did not exist.

The realm surrounding this island would seem to be unaware of any other presence. Sea life ran blindly into the hunk of rock, and were then forced to fumble their way around what could not be seen. Winged creatures meet a similar experience; upon clashing with an unseen tree, the birds reluctantly, and loudly, climbed higher into the ebony sky. Even as the slabs of rock cut through the salty water, it met a certain reluctance. The glistening water slowly, almost cautiously, divided for the floating island. The moon and stares themselves kept their light secret and safe from this strange place. This peculiar location seemed to have its own source of light; a strange illumination came from within the mass of green trees.

This serene image lasted for a few seconds longer; she could feel herself waking, falling away from green, blue, and brown scene. All of the colors faded and swirled until they morphed into a murky darkness. The odd chanting seemed to stalk her, even through the blank nothingness; it only started to falter when a dim light fluttered through the shadows.

**xXx End of Dream xXx**

Soft rays of sunlight greeted Katara as she opened her eyes; she had slept abnormally well, perhaps it was due to the calming dream. Allowing herself to forget her current traveling arrangement, she stretched against the hard ground and gave a happy sigh (something she hadn't been able to do in many nights). Momentarily, all her troubles seemed to be cashed away by the advancing sunlight. Despite the fact that she preferred the time of the moon over the time of the sun, she found its warmth a welcoming thing.

Realization suddenly crashed down on her as light found its way to her face; she remained motionless, not wanting to draw Ozai's attention. She had to give full concentration to her current epiphany. She cleared her mind, and allowed Aang's words to fill her mind…. Aang had described to her, in great detail, what he had seen when he received the powers to rob Ozai of his powers. The island. The animals. The trees…. Had she seen the Lion Turtle? Could it be true?

The foreign, rhythmic voice invaded her thoughts yet again, "_The truth can only be seen by those willing to see it._"

She jolted upright (to a full stand) as the voice responded to her thoughts; an odd fear swelled in her body. The fear continued to grow, even though she told herself that is was the voice of the Lion Turtle, the being who handed Aang the key to defeat Ozai.

"What's wrong?"

She turned on the spot to see Ozai standing in an offensive position, "Nothing, I was… I saw a…. spider."

She could feel his glare, even under the hood, "A spider?" He relaxed but took a step forward.

Nervously, she looked from side to side, "…Yes."

He gave a frustrated sigh and moved to the mouth of the cave. He slipped a lazy hand under his hood and pushed back the dark material; his fingers ran through his raven black hair and continued to do so until the hair trapped beneath the cloak was freed. His hand then moved to rub the back of his neck, and a few pops sounded off as he moved his head in a circular motion. He kept his head craned upward, toward the glistening sky. As silently as she could, she moved a bit closer to him; for what reason, she didn't know. The bright light revealed dark circles beneath his closed eyes.

She felt a slight tinge of irritation, "Did you not sleep last night?"

He opened his eyes and looked at her with a bemused expression, "Correct me if I'm wrong, but that sounded something like concern."

She glowered up at him, "No, it was annoyance," she suddenly realized the lack of exasperation that had been in her voice, "you stayed up all night to make sure that I didn't do anything."

He laughed, "I have reason to trust you?"

"That wasn't my point!"

He pinched the bridge of his nose with his index finger and thumb, "Then what is your point?"

"You were watching me all night! That's just creepy!" She flung her arms about dramatically.

He sighed in frustration and decided not to respond to her statement, "We're leaving."

She gave the wet and humid forest a nasty look, "Now?"

"If you want actual food, yes. It will take us all day to reach our destination."

She saw the attempt to keep her in the dark, "Where are we going?"

He stared at her thoughtfully for a few moments, "Makapu Village."

A look a surprise flashed across her face but she quickly concealed it, "Oh."

Ozai seemed to have noticed anyway, "You've been there, haven't you?"

She kept her features as controlled as possible, "No…I just didn't think the Fire Nation knew about Makapu Village."

His eyes narrowed, "Keep your hood up and don't talk to anyone."

As he walked away she rolled her eyes and moved to follow him out of the cave.

**xXx Makapu Village xXx**

She gave a happy sigh as the mountain enclosed village came into view. She had never missed Appa so much. The trek here had been treacherous and exasperating. This day was unbelievably muggy, but things seemed to feel a bit better in the mountain village. Still, she drew her hood up with great aggravation, and gave a groan of displeasure as the scratchy fabric rubbed against her already irritated skin. Ozai had drawn up his hood as well, but he didn't seem as bothered by the heat as she did. Although, he did seem bothered. He had been unusually quiet all day. True, he doesn't talk much, but he usually has a few sarcastic remarks for her; but nothing today.

Upon forgetting about Ozai, she looked around the familiar village; they seemed to be celebrating something. Actually, they were still in the middle of the preparations. People were scurrying to and fro with ladders, tools, and various decorations clutched in their hands. Multicolored paper lanterns were strung from shop to shop, from house to house.

Paper cutouts of dragons, platypus bears, duck turtles, and various other animals were pinned to beams, barrels, and doors. Drapes and flags embroidered with the Earth Kingdom symbol were found around every corner. Smaller Earth Kingdom flags were waved merrily by running children, who were also throwing confetti. The pieces of colorful paper and dried flowers litter the ground, making it appear as if a rainbow had crashed down upon the village.

Everyone seemed exceptionally happy, which made her, as well as Ozai, stand out amongst the crowd. That is, they would, if anyone was paying them any attention. All of the villagers were completely engrossed in their activities. As they made their way through the horde of people, they did so unnoticed, until a little boy ran right into Katara. So her hooded figure wouldn't frighten the young boy, she smiled down happily at him. It was good enough, for the little boy beamed back up at her, and held out a hand, which was clutching a flag.

"Here you go, lady!"

With a growing smile, she took the flag, "Thank you very much," she could feel Ozai glaring impatiently at her but ignored it, "Tell me, what are you celebrating?"

His smile faded, and he look at her as if she was crazy, "What, have you been living under a rock?"

For a moment, she thought back to the cave, "Ah, kind of." She shrugged but kept smiling.

"Tomorrow is the anniversary," he gestured around at the grandeur of the little village, "of the day the Avatar defeated the Fire Nation!"

After a short bow, he back to friends, who were beckoning him, "The celebration will be going on all day, so just stick around!"

Her grin faded as the boy's words sunk in. How could that day have slipped her mind?

With a sickening feeling, she realized that it wasn't just lately; she hadn't thought about it even when she was on the island. The day that stood for everything she and the others had fought for… had been forgotten. She shook her head, it wasn't as if she had meant to forget. It certainly hadn't slipped Ozai's mind, it must be the reason behind his extra bad mood. She glanced up at him and saw the deep, hatred filled frown that was barely visible beneath the shadows cast by his hood.

He must have noticed the glance, since he immediately grabbed her arm and started pulling her along; he kept her close, so it didn't appear as if he was forcing her to follow. With each and every step, Ozai's patients diminished. As they stood by one of the market carts, waiting for their food, he tapped on the wooden structure, his desire to be anywhere but here was clear. But the poor merchant was oblivious to this; he kept trying to start a conversation with Ozai. As if to irritate him more, the man mentioned Aunt Wu and her latest fortune-telling. Ozai seemed to believe in them as much as Sokka did.

For the sake of the merchant, she talked to him while he gathered their food. As the man handed off the food, Ozai slammed down the money, grabbed the food, and turned to walk away. Quickly, she thanked the man and hurried after Ozai, not wanting him to come back and drag her away by the arm again. Truthfully, she was happy to be away from the merchant, who had been prying on her nerves as well.

Upon reaching the inn, Ozai was in such a bad mood, that the man behind the desk did not attempt to converse with him. He simply handed Ozai the key to the most isolated room he had. When they walked away, the inn manager gave her a worried, pitying look. She replied with a simple shrug and hurried after the dark mass of aura that stalked down the hallway. When she managed to catch all the way up to him, he had already reached their room, which was indeed secluded, and watched him unlock the door. He wrenched it open and stood aside; she took the hint with ease and practically ran into the room. A deafening slam vibrated through the room and the _click _of the lock followed it.

She watched silently as he slammed down one package of food on a table, kept the other in his hand, and sat down nearly halfway across the room from her. Once again, she took the hint and sat down at the table alone. They both ate in an uncomfortable silence as the sun started its descent in the sky. When Ozai had finished, he stalked off to the bathroom, and she soon heard the swooshing of water.

Soon, she finished eating, and set aside the Earth Kingdom flag. Even though she wasn't particularly tired, she sat down on her bed, took off her shoes, and undid her hair. With a sigh, she flopped down and gazed up at the ceiling. With great difficulty, she decided to listen to the voice of the Lion Turtle. If there was one thing she should put her trust in, it should be the Lion Turtle that helped free the world. So, for now, she would deal with the former tyrant. She was fairly certain that aggravating Ozai wasn't going to do her any good; not that it ever did. Tomorrow meant the beginning of freedom for the whole world, but it marked the end for Ozai. A day celebrating his downfall….it must not be an easy thing to go through.

Not that she felt sorry for him.

* * *

**Love, hugs, and fireflakes to all who review!**


	16. The Anniversary

**xXx Chapter 16 xXx**

**xXx The Anniversary xXx**

Katara sighed up at the ceiling after having glanced at the door several times; it would be so easy for her to just get up and leave. Multiple times during the evening she had, in fact, abandoned her bed and stealthily tip-toed over to the door; a few slashes of water would act as her own key to the flimsy wooden blockade. Every preparation to strike summoned up the memory of the Lion Turtle, and she would then ruefully shuffle back to her fluffy mound of blankets and pillows. Another impulse to travel to the door nagged at her but she forced herself to stay put; the result would not differ from the other attempts. She wasn't going to go back on the promise she made; she would keep her faith in the Lion Turtle.

With a groan of impatience she wished Ozai would hurry; wanting the bathroom for herself. Her eyes closed, and an unwelcome image came to the forefront of her mind; the memory of Ozai in the hot spring flashed across her closed eyelids. She groaned, turned onto her stomach and buried her head under the fluffy feather pillow. She fisted her hands against the pillow, and drove it farther down, until it was nearly smothering her. Perhaps she could suffocate all those thoughts and images of Ozai out of her head.

After a few more moments of internal struggle, the bathroom door opened and closed; this time with much less vigor. Patiently, she waited for Ozai to stop moving around, and it didn't take long. She peeked out from under her pillow to look at the bed directly beside her own; a large lump and a black mass of hair rested upon it. As quietly as she could, she rose from her own bed, keeping a wary eye on the sleeping man. His breathing was already slow and rhythmic, his form in a more relaxed state.

Once again, she glanced at the door. So easy. As she thought more about it, she came to change her mind. There were sure to be an old Fire Nation soldier or two prowling around the inn and playing lookout. Not that it mattered since she had already made up her mind on the matter….Stupid Lion Turtle telling her not to fight. Perhaps Ozai was just always a matter for Aang to handle.

After a soft sigh passed from her lips, she entered the bathroom. It contained a very small ofuro and the showering area was directly in front of it. After taking off her clothes, she laid them and her bag aside. Silently shivering, she sat on the uncomfortable wooden stool and started the scrub away the dirt of the past few days. She repeated her usual cleansing ritual a few time, reveling in the joy that the inn's cheap soaps and shampoos gave her. She glanced at the ofuro, she didn't feel like bathing, she just wanted to go to sleep; this process had made her unusually tired.

Quickly, she dried off with the inn's scratchy towel, and put on fresh cloths. She would wash the dirty ones tomorrow. Cautiously, she pushed herself against the door, opening it only a few inches, and peered out. Ozai was still sleeping, oblivious to the fact that she had been moving around. She slipped out of the bathroom and crawled back into bed, extinguishing the lanterns mounted on the walls as she went. For a moment, she thought it would be difficult to sleep while Ozai was so close, but her eyes soon fluttered closed and she drifted off.

**xXx The Next Day xXx**

She did not wake up in a dream; her opened eyes saw the same room she had fallen asleep in. Slowly, she rose, and cast her sleepy gaze to the bed next to hers; Ozai was still asleep. She frowned; he really hadn't slept the night before. With light steps, she scurried over to the window and peered out; the festivities were just beginning. All of the decorations were in place, and it looked like a circus had pulled into the village. That idea only increased when animals paraded proudly by. She smiled at the scene before her; all four national symbols were printed on flags. Fire, Water, Earth, and Air were carried by people who were obviously of the Earth Kingdom. The noise outside was steadily increasing, and she allowed herself to believe that she was part of the celebration.

As happy thoughts consumed her, she wandered off to take care of her dirty cloths. She hummed (quietly) as she scrubbed at the blue fabric in her hands. Soon, she was done with that task, and realized that she no longer smelt like the woods. She no longer smelt like fire. Like something burnt. Just to reassure herself, she dragged her newly braided hair over her shoulder and pressed it against her nose. No fire, just soap. This made her so giddy that she went back to the window to watch the festivities. As she did so, she ate her breakfast. All and all, this was turning out to be a pleasant morning.

Suddenly, that wonderful world was pushed away; the dark brown blinds of the window were closed. A large hand was placed on the window, directly beside her head; the fabric that covered the arm brushed against her cheek. Instinctively, she twirled around to face Ozai, who was standing extremely close to her. Only a few inches separated them (pleasant morning ruined). To fix that problem, she backed up into the window as much as she could. Even though she was pressed uncomfortably to the blinds, she could breathe easier. For a few moments at least.

Ozai's dark green kimono-like tunic had fallen open and was un-tucked from his pants. The light that slipped in through the window's blinds stripped the floor and walls around them; she could barely make out his lurking form. As if having heard her thoughts, he raised his arm and the wall-mounted lanterns were giving life once again. She inwardly groaned; now she could see the defined body that the shadows had hidden.

He let his arm fall, "I'm going to be very clear; I don't want to hear any of that," he pushed roughly on the window, causing Katara to jump, "do you understand?"

She gave a brief nod, "Yes."

For a few moments, he remained motionless, as if he was expecting her to have a change of heart. Once he realized that she wasn't going to, his arm fell limply to his side. Before he turned away, she looked into his eyes. It was odd, they usually burned with anger or hatred; but they looked tired. Inexcusably, unconditionally tired. Beaten, lost, hopeless, and something that resembled desperation. It left her feeling completely confused; she couldn't believe that so many saddening emotions could be displayed through his eyes. She thought he would have trained himself to keep such indications of feelings at bay.

It seemed that he was intent on not speaking to her again. He spent most of the afternoon rapidly pacing the room, and appeared to be deep in thought. With weary eyes, she watched him, fearful of what he might do. It seemed unlikely that he would just randomly attack her without provocation, but she wasn't going to take any chances. Every move, every finger twitch was noticed. If he was aware of her watchful gaze, he gave no indication to the fact.

While still watching him, she allowed herself to listen to the cries of celebration from the outside… She should be home, or in the Fire Nation, rejoicing as well. With Gran-Gran, Dad, Sokka, Suki, Aang, Zuko and Toph. Memories of the past anniversaries came crashing in on her like a vengeful wave. Sokka and Toph would do some odd reenactment of the battle between Ozai and Aang. They would always argue over which one would be forced to play the role of Ozai; Toph would say since she's an actual bender, she should have the privilege to be Aang. Sokka would counter by saying that Ozai was a bender as well, so she had just as much of a 'right' to be Ozai. The blind girl would scoff and insist that that fact didn't matter. The argument would end with Toph threatening to Earthbend some sense into Sokka. He would always have to be Ozai.

She would laugh with Zuko, Suki, and Aang at the funny scene. Zuko would always speak of how his father got what he deserved; he said that his father's loss of power was a blow worse than death. May (even though Katara had never really grown to like her) and Tai Lee (whom she had grown to like) would agree with the rest of them. Every once in a while, Aang would have something insightful to say, and then it would be back to their usual folly.

She wondered how many of her friends were actually celebrating right now. Tear welled in her eyes, Sokka and Suki were either being held captive or on the run once again; no party for them. Dad and Gran-Gran might be rejoicing, but only for the benefit of the people. They must know, by now, that Sokka and Suki have been kidnapped; that may raise suspicion to her whereabouts. Zuko would probably be too concerned about his father; powers or no powers. The same might be said for Aang.

She wondered if anyone had realized that she was missing.

She was so consumed in her thoughts that she didn't notice Ozai's stare, "Why are you crying?" He sounded annoyed, more like himself.

A hand instantly darted up to her face; tears were cascading freely down her cheeks, "I… I don't know." For whatever reason, she forced herself to lie.

"Hmph, this is _your _day, your day of _victory_. For what reason are you upset?" Bitterness came back into his voice; a little less than normal.

When she gave no response he went back to stalking through the room. He murmured something she didn't quite catch, and a moment after that, fire erupted from his hands. The flames licked and swirled around his arms for a few seconds before they died away. This act did nothing to convince her that he wasn't going to do something stupid. Discreetly, she prepared for an attack as she moved away from the wall she was leaning on.

"You're not going to go out and start attacking people, are you?"

He stopped dead in his tracks and glared at her as if the question was a great insult, "I will be doing no such thing. These people don't need to be reporting some mysterious Firebender who burned down half of their village."

"Just making sure…" Despite his words, she kept an even closer eye on him.

He spent a great deal of time muttering comments that were inaudible to her ears, no matter how hard she tried to listen. Despite how hard she fought it, pity sank in as his rigid form took on a more sluggish demeanor. His pace had slowed, which once again, gave him the air of a tired and defeated man. Every once in a while, he would run and hand through his hair or tug at his cloths; they were such human things to do, it was an odd thing to see. She tried to ignore these everyday actions; she didn't want to think of him as a human. She needed to see him as the monster she had always thought he was.

A little voice in the back of her head piped up, "_You always thought Zuko was a monster._"

She shook her head (which managed to go unnoticed) and reminded the voice that the first time she had trusted Zuko, he had stabbed her in the back. To further her defense, she told the voice that Zuko had wanted to change, and that Ozai doesn't want to change. He was still the same man with the same god complex. The voice spoke no more. Unfortunately, the voice didn't need to persist; the feeling of pity would not fade away.

Her compassion just kept nagging at her until she couldn't take it anymore. With uneven, cautious steps, she made her way over to Ozai. She stopped short, a few feet away from him, and continued to stare. A war was raging inside her head.

Her memory reminded her of how much pain and suffering this man had caused her and the rest of the world.

Her heart and pity yearned to ease discomfort experienced by anyone.

Rational thinking told her to just drop it, that it wasn't her any of her business.

Her head told her to leave him alone, that she would only fuel his anger and frustration.

Fear also begged her to leave him be; that he would unleash his fury upon her.

Bravery demanded her to cast away her fears. If questioning him caused an attack, then so be it.

Everything that she stood for: kindness, forgiveness, mercy, and new beginnings… they were all too blind to see who this man was. She stepped forward, to say what, she wasn't sure. Regardless, the chance to speak fist was taken away; once she was within arm's length Ozai turned to her and caught her wrist. She immediately froze under his hold, and any thought she had died away.

"Tell me how that boy beat me."

She looked at him in surprise, "You mean Aang?"

Through gritted teeth he said, "Who else would I be referring to?" He took a deep breath as if to calm himself, "How did he take away my powers, where did he obtain that ability; it isn't one that a avatar would normally possess."

She remembered how Ozai had been partially unconscious after the battle, "He, um…" She didn't want to tell him about the Turtle Lion, especially since she had had a dream about the ancient creature.

Frantically, she tried to come up with a convincing lie.

She was suddenly slammed against the wall; one hand pinned by her head and other gripping the forearm that was pressed against her neck, "Don't lie to me." His voice was low and dangerous.

She looked away from him and gasped out, "I won't lie!" Her pity for him was beginning to die.

In the corner of her eye, she saw him tilt his head to the side, "Look at me."

She tried in vain to push his arm away, "I don't see why I need to!"

He let out a mirthless laugh, "I don't think you can look someone in the eyes and lie, little Waterbender."

Pity gone. She suppressed the urge to lash out at him. In his current state, if she did one Waterbending move, he could set this whole place up in flames. Finally, with the increasing pressure on her windpipe, she was forced to look at him. Despite his violent actions, his eyes still looked the same; tired and beaten.

"I don't think you would believe it." While she did think that, she knew it wouldn't deter him.

"Try me." He pulled his arm back just enough to allow her the air she needed to speak.

As she spoke, she felt like she was betraying all of her friends, "Aang met a Lion Turtle."

He scoffed, "A Lion Turtle? I suppose he met a dragon as well?"

She bit her tongue in order not to laugh; an image of Zuko and Aang performing "The Dance of the Dragons" popped up inside her head, but she pushed the dragon comment aside, "I told you that you wouldn't believe."

Grudgingly, he pulled away and turned his back on her.

All this talk of his powers push forth a question she had, "How did you get your powers back?" When he didn't respond, she pushed on, "It was surprising enough that you got them back, but I didn't think you would ever be able to fight with them again."

He turned and gave her a curious look, "You didn't think I would able to fight with them…? You knew I had my powers back, even before I attacked you?"

She decided to stick with the truth, "Yes… It was one day, I can't remember which, but you had grabbed my wrist… when I looked at it later, there was a slight burn mark."

He raised an eyebrow, "And I wasn't aware of that?"

"No, you didn't Firebend, not really. I just remember my wrist getting warm, then hot, and then it burned."

Another mirthless laugh, "You managed to hide it from me, perhaps you're a better liar than I thought."

She realized the conversation was swerving, "Are you going to answer my question?" She was careful in making sure that her voice wasn't commanding.

"Why I'm able to fight with Firebending?" When she nodded her head he continued with a smirk, "I don't think you would believe me."

She frowned, but otherwise ignored his sarcastic comment, "You do know how?"

He was silent for a moment, "I have a theory. Do you really want to hear it?"

She became weary; he sounded far too amused, "Yes…and don't you dare say that it was a Lion Turtle!"

His smirk widened and the tired eyes morphed into something far more sinister.

She instantly knew that she wasn't going to like his theory.

* * *

**Love, hugs, and fireflakes to all who review!**


	17. Kisses and Lies

**xXx Chapter 17 xXx**

**xXx Kisses and Lies xXx**

**xXx Ozai xXx**

In all honesty, he didn't know how he had regained control over his firebending, but he could certainly make up a reason. He knew exactly what he needed to do; the precise lie he needed to say. It was a simple enough deception, if not a bit cruel- a concept which he didn't find particularly perturbing. The main objective of this scheme was to force a connection to form between himself and Katara, but it had the chance of frightening her away. That was a very likely possibility; since he found her to be a strong and defiant person, she might try to push him away. For some time now, he had not focused on this part of his plan, simply because he wasn't sure how to go about doing it.

Now he had an idea for this important part of his plan, perhaps the most important part. It revolved around the mysterious item that would defeat the Avatar- he could not wield the 'weapon' himself; the information gathered in the generations before him had made that quite clear. It had to be used by someone who didn't wish to cause actual harm to the Avatar- it was just meant to stop him; so naturally, he was out of the drawing.

Who better to use against the Avatar than a trusted friend, and a romantic interest? This girl meant a great deal to the Avatar; she was a curtail weakness for him. That boy would trust her, right down to his last dying breath. If Katara's trust was in Ozai, then he could use her against the Avatar. He considered himself to a very talented manipulator, so winning her over should be easy; after all, she was still so young, so naïve.

He looked down at the girl, who was staring at him gravely, "Sit down, Katara." He lowered himself down to the hardwood floor, and after a few moments of hesitation, she mirrored his movements.

To ease her nervousness, he replaced his sneering expression with a more neutral one; it seemed to have a positive effect, "Do you remember the night that Lee 'attacked' you?"

She gave a small shutter, "Yes."

"Do you recall what I said about him?"

This time, she did not shutter, "You said that you killed him…"

"Did you ever wonder how?"

Her expression remained controlled, "No."

Her eyes betrayed her; he knew she was lying, "I'll enlighten you regardless; it was with firebending." He paused, to gauge her reaction.

She responded almost straight away, "What does that have to do with anything?"

He fought back a leering smile; he didn't need to scare her, "I had been attempting- all of that day- to firebend, but it wasn't until that moment that I could."

He could see the unease forming and swirling around in her eyes, "So what?"

"You don't find the timing odd or significant, Katara?" He kept his voice level, deprived of any mocking intentions; his 'sincere' tone was weird and foreign to even his ears, and it was having the desired impact on Katara.

Her hands clutched and twisted at the fabric of her blue cloths, "No." Her voice was stronger than her actions indicated.

He allowed one smirk to cross his features but quickly put it away, "Are you sure, Katara? Think about it again, or would you rather have me explain it?" He fought back the urge to smirk again; every time he said her name she would make an involuntarily twitching movement. Just the effect he was aiming for.

Even though the room was dimly lit, he could see the rosy tint on her cheeks, yet she still refused to avert her eyes, "I don't know what you're talking about."

Stubborn. She was just making it more difficult for herself, "I was angry at Lee, for what he had done to you. It was because of you, Katara" He was very careful to keep his face clear of any provoking features.

By making her believe that she was the cause, she would be elevated to a role of importance; which could give him leverage over her. A fake role of importance, of course. He certainly didn't think that she was his source of power.

Her hand twitched, but other than that, she gave no further physical sign that she had heard his words, and after a few moments of silence she responded in a stern voice, "No." She glared him down, but the emotions that churned in her eyes dulled any effect it might have had.

Without a snide tone he echoed her, "No?" Again, he could see how this distinct way of speaking influenced her; it seemed to weaken her.

Regardless of that, she stood and stared him down, "Whatever sparked your powers, it wasn't me."

He rose as well, to his full height; her courage seemed to falter a bit, "You can disagree all you like, but it is my theory, and you said you wanted to hear it."

"Then I was wrong, I don't want to hear anything about it."

She turned and started to move, to go where he wasn't sure, but he didn't give her the chance; he grabbed her wrist, much more gently than he usually would have done, and spun her back around, "It's too late for that." He pulled her closer until only half a foot separated them.

"L-let me go." Her voice was finally cracking.

"Why?"

She was struggling to speak, "B-because."

"I want an actual reason."

She snapped at him, "You're making me uncomfortable!" At long last, after all of her glaring, she looked away.

Deliberately, he lowered his voice, "For what reason? We've been closer than this before."

Her cheeks flared brightly and she bowed her head down, desperate not to look at him. Perfect. She simply couldn't handle everything he was throwing at her, and this last move would undoubtedly break her. There was nothing to interrupt him like the time in the forest. He placed a hand on her cheek, which felt like it was on fire, and forced her to look up; as her features came back into view, she moved her mouth as if to speak, but he declined her that opportunity. As gently as he could manage, he pressed his lips against hers; she instantly froze, her lips motionless under his.

The moment he rubbed his hand against her cheek, some life seemed to be zapped back into her. She tried to shove him away but instantly recoiled once she realized that she pushing against the bare flesh of his chest. He couldn't hold back the smirk that dominated his lips; he hadn't even planed that. Noting its usefulness, he released her wrist and wrapped his arm around her slender waist, and pulled her into an embrace. She had placed her arms in front of her, attempting to put a barrier between them. He could feel her fingers fidgeting nervously on his chest.

Other than those little movements, she gave him no other response; that wouldn't do at all. He pushed her back until she was trapped between his body and the wall; this effectively pressed her closer to him. He did it rather harshly, and Katara didn't respond well to that; she instantly started to struggle and still refused to move her lips. Her fingers curled to form fists and she tried, in vain, to push him away. Deciding to take a new approach, he moved his lips to her ear.

"Why don't you kiss back, Katara?" He asked in a sneer; being so gentle was becoming tiresome.

In a shaky voice she responded, "Let go of me!"

He pressed his cheek against her own and breathed in her scent; he could feel her trembling, "I don't think that you really want me to."

She tried to laugh, but it came out as more of a sob, "Why would you think that?"

"If you didn't want this, you could easily push me away; you could fight me off, but you're not." He decided to challenge her, just a little bit, "Fight me off, prove to me that you don't want it, prove that I'm wrong. Show me how much you despise me." He spoke very slowly, letting every word sink in.

She didn't move. She didn't speak.

He took her hand, pulled it out of the trapped position it was in, and held out to the side, "Attack me, I'm giving you a chance to end it."

He wasn't concerned when she jerked her hand away from his, nor when she waved it around in the air angrily. Water swirled around him and then formed into heavy spikes of ice; they hovered in midair, a few feet away from him. And they continued to float.

"I'm not very impressed; this inst much of an attack."

Her hand was shacking horribly, and even the ice cycles appeared to quake. Once again, he seized her hand in his own, and brought it up to his lips; a slight move of his head allowed him to press his lips onto the palm of her hand. She pulled it away, but still, nothing happened. He placed his cheek back against hers and waited. Slowly, her still shacking hand fell down to rest on his shoulder. The moment her hand touched down, the icy daggers broke apart and splashed down onto the floor.

As he placed a light kiss on her cheek, a sharp cold pain pierced his arm. Without making any sound of discomfort, he pulled away and looked down; one solitary ice cycle was piercing the wall by Katara, ant it had sliced through his arm on the way there. He hadn't expected that. He clutched at the foot wide slash that ran across his upper arm; blood was already seeping over his hand. Before he even had the chance to look back up at her, the same pain was surging through his side; it had effectively push him back and down onto the floor.

He saw Katara fall down to her hands and knees, after which, she hung her head low; her sobs echoed through the room. Ignoring her, he turned his attention to his newest wound; even though she had been so close, her aim had been off. The cut was probably only a inch or so deep. The slash on his arm was more important, and he didn't have the proper medical equipment to tend to it; Hikaru had all of that. In annoyance, he tore away the remaining cloth of his sleeve, which was coated in blood, and tossed it aside. Perhaps he could use the other sleeve as binding.

Katara suddenly vanished from his vision, he prepared himself to pursue her, but she reappeared by his side before he could even get up. Anger was still sketched on her face, but she was also crying. He followed her gaze; she was staring at the gash in his arm.

"Don't move." She stating pulling bandages and medicine out of her bag.

This girl was so strange. He was antagonizing her, and now she's helping him? Pain shot through his arm again; she was wiping the blood away. In astonishment, he watched her as she cleaned and wrapped his arm. With minimal hesitation she did the same to the small cut on his side. Throughout all of this, he said nothing; he simply watched her. She was very careful to not meet his eyes, even though he tried to catch them.

He felt like he should be angry, but he wasn't; he didn't think it was because he had been egging her on. For whatever reason, he was amused more than anything. Perhaps it was because of her strange actions. Once she had finished tending to his wounds, she stayed where she was, in a knelling position beside him. As her sobs continued, she brought her hands up to wipe away the tears, but they were quickly replaced by more.

This wasn't the reaction he had been hoping for, and he wasn't sure if this result was going to do him any good. While she was obviously in a forlorn state, that didn't mean that she wouldn't attack him again. Of course, he was prepared for an attack now, but it would be counterproductive to start a fight. He wondered what was going through her indecisive head; it would be so much easier if she would just decide on what she wanted to do. This back and forth motion was prying on his nerves. While she never did kiss back, she did take her time in pushing him away.

He could give her a slight reprieve… but that would waste too much time. He wasn't one to waste time.

He raised his aching arm and curled his fingers around her wrist, but she gave no indication that she had noticed, "Katara."

She kept her face hidden in her hands, "W-what?"

She was being far too docile, "What exactly is going through your head?" He glanced down at his bandaged arm, "To give me such tender care- one would think that you actually cared for me."

She bowed her head further down and gave him no answer.

"What sense does it make for you to attack me, and then tend to very injuries that you gave me?"

Again, he received no answer.

His patients was growing thin, "Unless you care for me?"

He felt triumphant as she jerked up and turned her back on him. Discomfort shot through his arm as it twisted oddly with her movements, so he pulled down on her still captured hand; she turned but managed to steady herself before falling. Another tug and she was back in the same position she had been in only moments ago.

She was glaring down at the hand clamped around her wrist, "I don't appreciate being ignored."

Nothing

He moved closer, "Have you lost the ability to speak?"

"Let me go." Her voice was week, like she didn't care.

A smirk pulled at his lips, "I think you need to expand your vocabulary."

He cupped her cheek in his hand and placed a soft kiss on her temple; she didn't pull away, but she did cringe slightly. The hand holding hers moved so his arm was around her waist, and he pulled her to lean on his chest. She easily did so, but kept her arm stiffly by her side. Slowly, he moved her hand up her back -a sharp intake of breath- and clutched the odd bun that held up her hair. Whatever held her hair together was putting up a troublesome fight; he could not get it undone. He didn't dare to yank too hard since she would certainly react negatively. Still, his frustration was growing. After a few more minutes of twisting and pulling, an annoying hairpin-like object finally gave way; he instantly dropped it and the braid slowly divided as his fingers combed through it.

This seemed to calm her down; she lowly started to relax against his body. Throughout all of this, she said and did nothing. He ran his hand through her hair for a considerable amount of time. As time passed, she became more and more placid. His trademark smirk once again dominated his features once she had fallen asleep; progress was coming quicker than he had hoped. She was already willing enough to fall asleep in his arms. This was going to be too easy… then again, tomorrow was a new day; she may decide to hate him again in the morning.

After regaining his throne, she could hate him all she wished- it didn't matter since he was going to do away with her in the end anyway. He continued to twirl her hair around his fingers… first, she would face retribution for all the inconveniences she had put him through; traveling with her had truly been exasperating. He looked up at the ceiling and thought (while still twirling her hair); she would definitely witness the Avatar's demise. He let a few strands drop. Perhaps all of her little friends should go before her. Some more tresses fell. She would see his rise to power; he would go out of his way to assure that much. He let the rest drop, along with his mask of sincerity, and rested his hand on the floor.

In the end, she would see what she helped to do. What she helped to create.

**xXx Sokka xXx**

"Suki?" Sokka poked at his sleeping girlfriend playfully.

After a few more pokes, Suki sprang up and nearly punched Sokka in the face; she managed to stop her attack just in time, "Sokka, don't do that! I thought you were some Fire Nation creep!"

Sokka looked offended, "Please, I'm much more attractive than those Fire Nation has-beens!" He stood up proudly, "Besides, we got away from the creeps- again!"

It was true, after a day of planning, they devised a scheme to escape their captures; it went off without a hitch. When it came to picking good men, the former Fire Lord just didn't have any luck. Heading Katara's words, they had gone straight to the coast line and boarded a Earth Kingdom ship that was bound for the Fire Nation. They deliberately stayed away from Fire Nation ships- just to be on the safe side. Once they reached the island, he would gather Aang, Appa and Zuko and go kick the Loser Lord into the next century. He wished Toph could be part of this, but she had recently gone home to spend time with her parents; she was too far out of the way for them right now. He would surely get a beating for leaving her out of this latter.

Suki suddenly looked serious, "I just hope we find Katara again in time. Who knows what that guy is using her for."

Sokka crossed his arms and mumbled, "I know what he wants…"

"Sokka-"

He looked grim, "I told you what I saw…"

Suki laid a comforting hand on his shoulder, "I know but… you just have to believe that she can take care of herself. Do you really think she would let him- let alone anyone else- use her like that?"

Sokka grumbled but still nodded his head, "Yeah, but I'm still worried…."

She instantly wrapped her arms around him, "Of course you are, but you don't need to worry yourself sick- she'll be fine."

He sighed as he returned her embrace, "I know." he pulled himself away and looked at the door behind him, "Come on, let's go see if this hunk of junk will go any faster."

They left the room together, "Yeah, the sooner we get to Aang and Zuko, the better."

* * *

**Love, hugs, and fireflakes to all who review!**


	18. The Unknown

**xXx Chapter 18 xXx**

**xXx The Unknown xXx**

**xXx The Unknown Force xXx**

A crystalline dagger, which was deprived of any natural pigments, rested peacefully upon a mound of dark and lifeless dirt; it shinned faintly in the muted light and rolling clouds of murky fog that surrounded it. The opaque mist tumbled over the oddly shaped crystal, distorting what little light it produced; it seemed to flicker in its hollow surroundings like a slowly failing flame. For centuries it had been sitting undisturbed, but not a speck of dust or grime was to be found on its jagged features; it was untouched by time. Shadows framed the glowing object, to make it appear as if it was the only thing in existence.

The world, however, did continue outside the barrier of darkness; the outskirts had limited light, but more so than the immediate area around the dagger. A lighter quality of mist traveled out of the void plane to twist and turn through decaying and lifeless trees; the bark and gnarled limbs were the same ebony color as the barren soil. The distant sound of waves echoed through the fruitless forest, but the splashes only made it seem more disconnected and otherworldly. There were no animals to scamper across the rotted forest floor, or to fly in the gloomy air; all of this only added to the unnatural silence.

The ground stretched down in a slopping manner until it collided with churning sea water; the water crashed against runic, geometric symbols. A sinful, twisted energy radiated from the roaming island, keeping all other life away. The fish and birds avoided the tainted chunk of rock like it was a plague. Perhaps it was a plague, or perhaps it was something far worse. It was pandemonium personified, and its purpose was to spread its chaotic calamity to every solitary corner of the world. And for over a hundred years it had been doing just that.

Due to resent events, its disordered and invisible reign had come to an abrupt and unwelcome halt. 'Balance' (as more sanctified deities would believe) had been reestablished; in truth, the 'better' half of the world's scale now had the upper hand. There could never be any balance in the world of humans, and it wouldn't let the 'good' outweigh the 'bad.' This time of peace could not last. It would not let it last.

It would unleash the dagger to insure that- the gem-like dagger in which now swirled a scene. It showed its future processor, along with the individual who would restore chaos to the world. The two who were chosen, who were destined, who were pushed and guided in the right direction. Implanting enough thoughts, and showing the correct images gave it indirect control over both of them. Their actions were their own, but the initial threads had been woven by 'it.' It wouldn't be long now until the fire and waterbender found the island- the dagger- the Avatar's defeat. The power to restore chaos. The Lion Turtle had only challenged 'it' more by bestowing the Avatar with an ability that had been dead to human eyes for centuries.

It was a challenge, one it was willing to accept. One it would not lose.

**xXx Katara xXx**

Faint morning light begged Katara to open her eyes, but they remained closed as she snuggled deeper into the covers of her bed. The sheets were twisted around her body, making her feel safe and secure. Smiling happily, she breathed in their crisp scent; it smelled a bit differently than she remembered. As she stretched her arms out the texture beneath her fingers changed from soft fabric to something entirely different. Unable to identify it, she ran her hand further along the mysterious surface. Once the sleepy haze of daybreak had lifted from her mind, she realized that it was skin. With a vehement crash, last night's events washed over her and caused her eyes to open.

Her drowsiness was wiped away from existence as the incident played over and over again in her head. With great effort, she forced herself to focus on the present- and her current situation wasn't good in any way, shape, manner, or form. What she thought was a sheet wrapped around her waist was Ozai's arm; she hadn't been snuggling into her bed but into him; her hand was resting upon his slowly rising and falling chest. Panic overtook her so quickly that she froze where she was, unwilling to accept the predicament that she was in.

She completely detached herself from her surroundings and allowed her thoughts to consume her.

"_How did this happen! I know I feel asleep in his arms- stupid, so STUPID- but we were on the floor! Now I'm in his bed, under the covers, and still in his arms! This can't be happening, how could I let this happen? What was I thinking…! I have to get away from him, NOW!" _

Cautiously, she peered up at him; he was still asleep, with his head tilted away from her. She dragged her gaze down to the arm around her waist; she shifted and wiggled around. His grip was firm, and now that she allowed herself to think about it, she realized it was tight to a point of physical discomfort. She wouldn't let that stop her; she needed to get away from him. Gently, she grabbed his wrist and tried to pull up; his arm didn't budge, but his hand clutched at the fabric of the sheets. He stirred slightly and she instantly removed her hand.

"_Please don't wake up, please don't wake up. I can't face him right now, not when I'm like this!" _

Anxiety welled inside of her as she waited for him to awaken- but he never did. Everything was still once more. Now she was being torn in two directions; she wanted to escape his embrace, but waking him up before she was free was out of the question. To test how deep his sleep was, she squirmed around a bit, and gained no reaction. While it did confirm that he was asleep, it didn't help her any in freeing herself. She gave a frustrated sigh and decided on a riskier move; she placed her hands on his side and tried to push herself away. His hold still didn't give.

His voice caused her heart to skip a beat.

"Why are you trying to get away?" For whatever reason, he sounded wide-awake.

Through some miracle, she found her voice, "Will you let me go?" It wasn't a strong tone, but the words were there nonetheless.

She could almost hear the smile in his voice, "No."

"But-"

"Why should I?"

Anger shined through in her voice, "Let me go now, you had no right to-"

He cut her off, "You're the one that fell asleep in my arms. You looked so content; how could I let you sleep alone?"

As a horrible flush covered her cheeks, she pushed against him again and stammered out, "W-well, I'm not asleep now, so just- just let go!"

In a response to her efforts he pulled her closer, "Are you saying that you don't to sleep alone?"

Her blush deepened, "W-what? No! That's not what I'm saying!"

In her panicked state of mind, she barely heard him say, "It's a little too early for you to be so loud." The words didn't register, but they still managed to push her over the edge.

With a frantic wave of her hand, she sent pillars of blunted ice cycles to Ozai; the force of impact was enough to make him release his grip, and to push her away. With a thud, she land on the floor, but she didn't stay there long. Scrambling to her feet, she darted for the door that led to the kitchen. Loudly, she slammed the door shut and leaned her body against it, slowly sliding down to the floor. The squeaky sounds of the bed's springs traveled to her ears, but she remained where she was. She wasn't afraid of him or what he might do; she was just so furious with herself. She just wanted to sink into the floor and never emerge again- she wanted to be alone.

He approached the door, which caused her to grimace, "I know you would stay in there all day and mope if you had the chance, but unfortunately, we must depart as soon as possible. Come out and gather your things."

"_He's giving me an order, but he doesn't sound as harsh as he usually would._" She shook her head, "_No, he's just lying; whatever game he's playing, I'm not interested._"

With that thought, she rose to her feet; she wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of seeing her hide. With head held high, she opened the door entered the living area; she stomped across the room and started grabbing up all her personal items. Her flaming spirit carried her on in this angry fashion so some time, but as she became more aware of Ozai's eyes following her every movement; she discovered that her 'flaming spirit' was in need of rekindling. She couldn't find the means to re-spark it. Her anger subsided more and more; her pace slowed and she kept her eyes locked onto whatever she happened to have in her hands.

She couldn't stand this hold he seemed to have over her. What was more disconcerting was the fact that she was now able to admit that he had a hold. Why was she giving him so much power? Surly, she could take control back if she wanted to. Her insides twisted into knots as she realized that she had the chance last night. He had even given her the chance. And what did she do- she helped him after attacking him! She closed her eyes and twisted the strap of her bag in her hands.

"_Why did I help him? What's wrong with me?_"

"Are you alright?" His sarcastic voice dragged her back into the real world.

Her now opened and confused eyes looked up at him, "What?'

A warm hand was suddenly placed on top of hers, "Are you trying to snap the strap in half?"

She glimpsed at the strained thread of the bag's strap for only a moment, then she pulled away hastily, "Don't touch me." Instead of frantic, she sound serious and offended- at least she could still manage that.

He only looked amused as he withdrew his hand back to his side; she hated that so much. Any threat or outburst of rage was always met with that smug smirk. Even when she fought him on that rainy night, she was sure that he was sneering the whole time.

"Are you ready?" He asked with the smile still curving his lips.

"Yes." With a huff she flung her bag over her shoulder and grudgingly followed him out of the room.

She paid little attention as they walked down the hallway, gave back their room key, and traveled through the village. Not until he stopped to gather supplies did she do something herself. She bought basic items such as food and medical supplies (since she had used what little bandages she had left on Ozai). As she paid for her items, she gave a sad attempt of a smile to the merchant; the smile was half hidden thanks to the cloak that she was still forced to wear.

The man gave her a thoughtful grin in return, "Say, you look familiar, have you been here before young lady?"

Ozai, who had not ventured far from her, was back at her side the moment the sentence had left the man's lips. She spoke before Ozai had the chance.

"I'm afraid not, this is the first time I have been here." She spoke with the voice she used when she impersonated the Painted Lady; it didn't blend well with this situation, but she decided to keep with it.

"Oh, my mistake then, miss-"

She hesitated for only a second, "Angie," she felt Ozai's hand tugging at the sleeve of her cloak, "I'm very sorry, but we're in a bit a hush, have a pleasant day." Ozai was dragging her away before she had even finished her sentence.

Blood rushed to her cheeks once again; he wasn't pulling her by her sleeve or wrist, but by her hand. His large hand completely consumed hers; this made her feel more trapped than his forced embrace. Slightly, she tugged her arm back- it obviously didn't do her any good. As she put more effort into it she realized that she making a scene; Ozai knew it as well. His grip tightened- painfully. She stopped, deciding to start again once they entered the solitude of the woods.

She gave him a nervous glance, "Where are we going now?"

His amber eyes shifted to look into hers, "I don't see why you keep asking that; I'm not going to tell you."

She focused her attention on the now green and root laden ground, "Fine," she tried to jerk away again, "Release my hand right now."

He lowered his gaze to their hands, as if noticing it for the first time. Smug bastard… Surprisingly enough, he did release her hand. As discreetly as she could manage, she put some distance between them; everything that had occurred in the past twelve hours still had her on edge. Since she was sure that their journey would be carried out in silence (as usual), she now had all day think and clear her head. At least, she hoped she could clear her head.

**xXx Aang xXx**

Aang was twisting his air-glider in his hands, as he had been doing for most of the day- he heard an exasperated sigh from across the room, "Aang, what's the matter?"

Zuko looked up at him with an annoyed expression.

He pouted a bit, "I thought I would have heard from Katara by now, that's all…" He trudged about the room in a forlorn manner.

Zuko pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and index finger, "…What about… what's her name?" He didn't really care about that girl and was hopping that she gone.

He groaned, "I made a mistake, I want Katara back…"

The Fire Lord gave a small smile, "Well, that's good, but you just have to give her time- it's just been a little more than a week since she left."

"I know, but…"

Someone suddenly entered the room they were in; the elderly Fire Nation man bowed to both Zuko and Aang, "A message for the Avatar, my Lord." He held out the letter for the scowling man to see.

Zuko's stare pierced Aang, "Then give it to Aang, not to me."

The man turned to Aang and stuttered an apology, "Of course my Lord," he presented the letter to Aang, "For you, Avatar Aang." As he handed it off, he bowed to them both once again, and backed out of the room.

"Maybe it's from Katara!" His featured instantly changed from sullen to excited.

As Aang unrolled the piece of parchment, Zuko mumbled something about the old man's stupidity and turned to face his now disappointed friend, "What did she write?"

The bald boy frowned, "No, it's not from Katara. It's from her father." He slumped down into the nearest chair.

"Is something wrong?" Quickly, he approached Aang and attempted to glance a peek at the letter, "What does it say?"

"He says Sokka and Suki have disappeared…and they still haven't heard anything more from Katara- they only got that one letter from her."

"They're all missing, did he mention anything else?"

"Nothing much. But apparently, when the Water Tribe men started searching for them, they cheeked all of their usual places. They came across one, and it looked like there was a struggle. They think that they were kidnapped."

Zuko turned away from him, "Kidnapped…" He said more to himself than to Aang.

Aang jumped up from his seat, causing Zuko to face him again, "What if Katara has been kidnapped, too!" Even though Zuko had thought otherwise, Aang had forced himself to believe that she was just traveling on her own.

As he started moving around frantically, Zuko placed both hands on the boy's shoulders in an attempt to keep him still, "Calm down. We have to think about this rationally; who could just kidnap all three of them? They are all skilled fighters."

This seemed to calm him down a bit, "But, what other explanation is there?" He hit his head with his glider.

He let his arms fall back to his side, "I don't know Aang, but I promise, we'll redouble our efforts to find her."

He didn't look pleased, "Maybe I should go find them all myself, Appa and I can cover more ground than your men. I can get Toph to help, too… I hope she hasn't been kidnapped as well- though I doubt anyone could kidnap her."

Zuko didn't take insult to that comment, because it was true, "If that's what you want to do, but wait until tomorrow to leave. My men are making their reports in the morning; let's see if they've brought any good news."

He took a calming breath, "Alright. I'll wait."

**xXx Sokka xXx**

With Suki by his side, Sokka stood on the metallic deck of the Earth Kingdom ship, and the Fire Nation islands were just coming into view. They couldn't see much through the advancing darkness, but the clear sky and nearly full moon made the spec of land just visible.

He wrapped his arm around his Kyoshi warrior girlfriend, "We should be there by sun up, so we should get some rest. How about it?"

In response, Suki rested her head on his shoulder and stifled a yawn, "Sure, but let's stay out a little longer, it's such a nice night."

Even though she couldn't see it, he smiled down at her, "Whatever you want," he looked back out across the water, "its weird, isn't it?"

"What is?"

"Going to the Fire Nation, and not being part of a raid."

She laughed, "What are you saying, that you miss it?"

"No, not at all! Everything is just so different- but I'm not complaining."

A moment of silence passed, "It just feels odd, going to the Fire Nation for help…" He felt this way because he had not spent as much time here as Katara had; he didn't consider this another home.

She gave him a short hug, "Well, then don't think about it as going to the Fire Nation for help; we're going to Zuko and Aang."

He squeezed her back, "You always have all the answers."

A giggle passed from her lips, "Come on, we're going to need our rest to explain everything that's happened in the past few days."

While still wrapped in each other's arms, they abandoned the cool night air of the deck.

* * *

**Love, hugs, and fireflakes to all who review!**


	19. The Shocking Truth

**xXx Chapter 19 xXx**

**xXx The Shocking Truth xXx**

**xXx Zuko xXx**

A turtle duck and her chicks swam lazy circles in the sparkling pond water of the palace garden. The summer flowers were in full bloom and their sent fluttered through the balmy air, which was warmed by the rising sun. This place had become a very vital sanctuary for him over the years; he went to the garden to be alone, relax, or just to think. His thoughts were currently focused on the meeting that would commence a short time from now. He sincerely hoped that his men had positive reports to give.

He felt certain that his three missing friends had had some contact with each other; it seemed unlikely that their disappearances weren't connected in some way. At the very least, he wanted to hear news involving one of them, if not all. Should that not be the case, he would depart with Aang immediately to search for them. With one last glance at the turtle ducks, he stood and stretched; he should make his way to the war chamber.

"Are you ready?" A hand was placed gently on his shoulder, "For the meeting?"

He turned to see Mai, who always had a knack for sneaking up on him, "Yes, would you like to walk there with me?"

She gave one of her rare smiles and linked arms with him, "Sure, lets go," as they walked she started a conversation, "Aang believes that Katara has been kidnapped?"

"Yes." He sounded unsure of himself.

"Isn't that what you thought? That's why you had those missing posters of her sent out, wasn't it?"

He sighed, "I don't know what to think. I don't see how someone could easily capture Katara, or Sokka and Suki for that matter."

"But you still had the posters sent out, so you must have thought that something bad happened." She just loved to challenge him like this.

He sighed again, "I was just concerned… before, when she would leave the island to go home, she would always send a letter to either Aang or I saying that she got there safely. Neither one of us have heard anything from her. She sent word to her grandmother saying that she wasn't going home, but she told me that she was… so, I don't know what to think."

They reached the red curtained doorway, "I'm sure those three can take care of themselves- don't over think it. You'll just come up with worst case scenarios." She detached her arm from his and kissed him on the cheek.

As she pulled away, he spoke, "You could come in if you wanted to."

She didn't look the least bit tempted, "As much fun as listening to reports sounds, I think I'll pass- I might write a letter to Ty Lee"

"She's still on Kyoshi Island?" He asked, even though he knew the answer.

"Yeah, she says she loves it more than the circus…" she suddenly looked at him with a tiny bit of hope that only he could recognize, "I'm going to spend some time in the garden- if you have any free time after the meeting…"

He brushed his lips against hers, temporarily forgetting his decision to search for his friends, "I'll come see you afterwards, I promise."

After a brief smile she shrugged and turned away from him, "Whatever."

With a slight grin of his own, he watched his unique girlfriend retreat down the corridor. His shifted his attention back to the red drape in front of him, and then walked through the doorway. The chamber was empty, so his soft footsteps echoed as he made his way across the dim room. He sat in the spot reserved for the Fire Lord, and effortlessly ignited the line of fire that always separated him from the men below; he always kept the flames low. In a matter of moments, Aang dashed through the curtains and flew, literary flew, to his side. He sat by his right hand, like he always did when present for a meeting.

Aang looked anxious, "Where is everyone?"

Zuko kept his patients with him, "Calm down, the meeting doesn't start for a few more minutes."

The airbender groaned his displeasure, which Zuko ignored. One by one, his generals pilled into the room and took their assigned seats around the table-like structure that had the world map printed on it. It wasn't long before everyone was accounted for.

"Good morning everyone, lets begin with the reports, shall we?" He always kept his tone friendly, but authoritative.

As a general made a motion to speak Aang interrupted, "Have you heard anything about Katara, the waterbender from the Southern Water Tribe?"

Zuko gave him a disapproving look, "Aang, we'll get to that but first-"

Aang cut in, "What's more important than Katara, Sokka and Suki?"

A bit of guilt surged through him, "Fine, but please, calm down," he looked back to all of his generals, "You heard the Avatar."

The general who was going to speak looked confused as he looked away from Zuko; another turned his attention to the Fire Lord instead. This man didn't seem confused, but slightly uncomfortable.

"My Lord- and Avatar Aang- I regret to inform you both that we have heard nothing of the waterbender named Katara. We searched and asked the locals, but nothing reviled itself."

Zuko caught Aang's crestfallen expression out of the corner of his eye, "I want the efforts redoubled, her brother and his girlfriend are missing as well. I have reason to believe that all three of them have been taken against their will."

"Yes, my Lord."

Aang suddenly rose to his feet and was halfway across the room in the blink of an eye; Zuko rose as soon he noticed this, "Aang, wait!" He started moving toward him.

"I have to go, Zuko, I have to find them!" With that, he exited the room in a swoosh of air.

Zuko made a move to chase after him but was interrupted, "My Lord, we are not done with the meeting!"

He didn't stop, but did offer a response, "The meeting is postponed until further notice, I don't have time for this right now!" He tore through the curtains as he spoke his last few words.

He cursed, there was no way he could catch up with Aang, not if he was flying through the palace- but he had an idea about where he was going. Appa would be a priority for him. He needed to get to the stables before Aang. He came to stop and eyed a window at his side; without a second thought, he blasted through it and positioned himself in the windowsill. He reached up and grabbed the edged of the roofing and flipped himself upward so that he was positioned on top of the red roof. He sped across the roof, heading in the direction of the stables.

The stables soon came into view, and Aang and Appa were both standing right outside it. It looked as though Aang had just arrived. As he reached the end of the roof, he took a powerful leap and landed at least ten feet away from them. His legs stung slightly from the force of impact, but he couldn't concern himself with that right now.

"Aang, I'm coming with you."

The airbender looked at him in surprise, "You are?"

He sounded a little offended, "Of course I am, why wouldn't I?"

The astonishment was still etched in his expression, "Zuko, you're running the Fire Nation, you can't just leave."

He had never thought about that; the others were too important for him to not go, "You're going to need my help."

"But, Zuko-"

"I think I can track them down a lot faster than you, don't you think?" He didn't like referring back to the days when he hunted them down, but it would help him make a point.

He looked troubled, "I know, but you're the FIRE LORD, you can't just leave your people."

"Katara, Sokka and Suki are more important."

He shook his head, "No, Zuko, you need to stay here," he turned his attention back to Appa, "that's weird…"

"What, that I want to help?" Zuko grumbled.

He moved closer to Appa, "No… this doesn't look like- hey this isn't Appa!" Aang stared at the creature dumbfounded.

Zuko temporarily forgot his friend's refusal to let him help, "What do you mean it's not Appa?" He moved closer to investigate; the flying bison did look a bit different, "I don't understand, how could this not be your flying bison?"

"I don't know, I-"

Both doors to the stable behind them creaked open, and it was followed by the sound of footsteps; many footsteps. At first, neither one of them turned, being too intrigued by the bison that was not Appa. It wasn't until a cough came- the kind used to catch someone's attention- that Aang looked behind him. It was the disbelieving expression on the air bender's face that caused Zuko to turn as well. As soon as he saw the source of interest and astonishment, his expression mirrored that of his younger friend.

The sight before them was unexplainable; a dozen men and women stood in front of them, but the real cause for their shock was their appearance. Orange and yellow colors, shaved or nearly shaved heads. All of them were baring the same arrow tattoos as Aang; the sign of a master airbender. They both continued to stare wide-eyed and stunned. Neither one of them could manage to say anything. Zuko briefly wondered if he was just seeing things, and by the look on Aang's face, he could tell that he was thinking the same thing.

When a young male monk spoke, the allusion of this being a dream shattered, "I see you have met our flying bison, Avatar Aang."

Aang looked back to the bison, to Zuko, and then back to the monks again, "Yours?" he was silent for a few moments, "You're all airbenders!" He asked a little too loudly.

Appa was suddenly led out of the stables by another monk, "The Avatar's bison is very healthy, it is a very happy and curious creature."

The monk stepped away from Appa, who made no hesitation in turning his attention to the bison behind Aang. Timidly, Appa ventured over to the newcomer; both bison began sniffing at each other. As if coming from out of nowhere, Momo dropped down on to Appa and aided him in his investigation.

The monk who spoke first did so again, "Avatar Aang, may we have a word with you, it is of the up most importance."

He talked as if his appearance, his existence, wasn't anything out of the ordinary, "I think we have a few questions for you first." Zuko had an uneasy feeling.

The male monk bowed his head, "Of course."

They sat on overstuffed cushions, around a very large table; Zuko and Aang sat on one side, the monks on the other. The one who did the talking earlier sat alone and the others were seated behind him. All of the monks seemed at ease, even though they claimed to have an urgent matter to deal with. Aang was attempting to keep his composure, but his excitement was still shining through. Zuko, on the other hand, was the only one tense with anticipation and weariness.

"I know both of you, but allow me to introduce myself. I am Eiji."

Zuko didn't waste any time on pleasantries, "How did you survive the…" he felt a small tinge of guilt, "Air Nomad genocide?"

The monk closed his eyes, "We did not, we are decedents of the survivors."

"Then how did they survive?"

His eyes remained closed, "Life has a gift for surviving."

Zuko frowned… a clever way of avoiding the question, "How, exactly?"

Eiji opened his eyes and stared down at the table, "They fled. In order to insure our people's survival."

Aang finally spoke, "From which temple?"

He looked at Aang, "From all of them."

Aang took charge of the question asking, "Where did they go? Everyone thought the airbenders were wiped out."

"They hid underground, with the assistance of the Earth Kingdom."

"Are their anymore of you?"

Eiji shook his head, "No, we are all that remains."

As Aang asked about flying bison and monkey lemurs, Zuko allowed himself some time to think. He knew the Air Nomads weren't warriors, but something was bothering him.

"Why did you never revel yourself? If not to the world, then why not to the Avatar?" The room fell silent. Now that he had asked the question, Aang seemed troubled.

"Aang was already a master airbender."

He felt a little agitated, "He could have still used your help, your guidance."

To his surprise, Aang defended them, "It's okay, Zuko, they are right after all."

His anger flared up, "No, it isn't. They left you alone in the dark, they let you believe that you were alone."

Aang struggled to come up with a counter argument, "I was never really alone. I had the past Avatars to turn to…"

Zuko fought the urge to stand up and stomp around, "Can't you imagine how much hope and inspiration you would have had if you knew some of your people still lived?"

Eiji spoke up, "It was never our intention to abandon him, we never meant to make him feel alone," he closed his eyes again, "besides, we would have not been much assistance to him then."

He forced himself to calm down, "Fine… but why are you here now? It has been three years since the has ended. Why now?" Personally, he thought they should have come forward once the war was over, but the monk didn't seem to catch his implied meaning.

"We can prepare him now for the new challenge that is about to arise."

"A challenge?" He raised an eyebrow.

The monk nodded, "A threat."

Zuko was still feeling a bit snippy, "How can you help him now, if you couldn't help him then?" He could tell by his posture that Aang didn't approve of his tone.

"He was too inexperienced in the other arts of bending to benefit from what we could give him. Since his skills have increased, he can now use what we are offering."

"And what is that exactly?"

"An opportunity to increase his powers."

Aang seemed interested, but Zuko spoke before he had the chance, "What does he have to do in order to get this power?"

Without any hesitation, Eiji answered, "He needs to come with us, to the Southern Air Temple."

"When?"

"Right now… and every second we spend talking like this is time wasted."

He turned to Aang, who still looked excited, "Aang, what about Katara and the others?"

His eagerness vanished from his face as he looked at the other monks, "I can't go with you, I have to find my friends, they're missing and could be in danger."

"They are in danger, along with the rest of the world. If you want to save them, you need to come with us."

Zuko spoke again, "Wait, how do you know that they, and the world, are in danger?"

Eiji studied him intently for a few moments, "We were shown by the means of visions."

His faith in them was fading, and his expression didn't hide it, "A vision…"

None of the monks seemed surprised at his doubts, but Aang was the first to confront him, "Visions are normal for monks, Zuko, I believe them… and besides, monks aren't the greatest liars."

He knew the second part to be true from personal experience, "Alright… since you had this vision, you know what the threat is, right?"

"Yes."

"Well, what is it?"

Eiji gave him a weary looked, "This is a matter for the Avatar, and the Avatar alone."

His anger was rekindled, "You're saying he has to do this alone?"

"That is correct."

He stood, giving the monk a menacing glare , "No. Aang didn't defeat the Fire Nation alone, he won't do this alone. He doesn't have to do anything _alone_."

As he stormed toward the door, he head Aang mutter an apology and his light footsteps followed soon after. He pushed open the door and let it slam behind him; he had no idea where his rage was coming from. Over the years, he had become a much calmer and patient person. Something about the way those monks spoke just rubbed him the wrong way. He breathed in the clean scent of his surroundings and it seemed to have a pacifying affect. With much less vigor than he had done, the door opened again and was just as calmly closed.

"Zuko, why are you so upset? This isn't like you… well, it used to be you, but not like the you that you are now."

"I'm sorry Aang," he sighed and turned to him, "What do you want to do?"

He looked uncertain, "These are my people… how can I turn my back on them, and they only want to help."

Without a snide tone, he offered his opinion, "Aang, they could have made themselves known after the war's end. Why didn't they? As for their help… they want to help you and only you. They wouldn't even tell me what the problem is."

"Uh, I don't know why didn't come forward… and, maybe this is something only I can do."

"You're going against what you learned on the day of Sozin's Comet."

"What do you mean?" He rubbed his head, not understanding his meaning with all of the day's events.

"You learned that you couldn't do it by yourself."

Realization crossed his features, "You're right, I know you're right but… these are my people, my culture, and I want to…" He trailed off.

Zuko gave him pitying look, "You still want to go with them?"

The younger boy couldn't stand to look at him, "I think I do."

There was a moment of silence before Zuko spoke again, "I don't think you should go."

Aang looked at him in surprise, "What?"

The older man sighed, "I'm sorry, but I think it's a bad idea- you know what the monks thought an Avatar should be. You think they won't try to change you? Aang, you were able to defeat my father because you didn't listen to their advice. You know you can't be like the other monks."

He looked a bit upset, "Zuko, I understand what you mean, but I'm not going to let them change me."

He shook his head, "That kind of isolation at the Air Temple could do that to you without you realizing."

Aang suddenly looked determined, "I think this is a journey I need to take," he turned back to the door, "you don't need to worry about me, Zuko, I'll be fine… I want you to focus on finding Katara and the others while I'm gone."

Zuko knew the conversation was over, even before Aang re-entered the room. Still, he groaned in frustration. No sooner than the sigh had left his lips did the door open again, and a long line of monks left the room. Eifel was in the lead, and he bowed his head slightly to Zuko as he went by. The other monks, however, paid him little notice. Aang was the last to exit, and Zuko caught him by the shoulder.

"There isn't anything I can do to change your mind?"

"No, this is something I need to do," he removed Zuko's hand and clasped it in his own, "Don't worry, I'll be back, as the same Aang you've always known." He departed with his usual friendly smile.

He felt oddly defeated as his friend disappeared from view. With certainty, he knew that he wouldn't feel this way if he was accompanying him. He decided to take matters into his own hands.

Zuko tightened the straps of his armor. It was just a chest plate, just for protection. He grabbed up his recently packed bag of personal things as he made his way out of his room. He would follow Aang; hopefully he hadn't lost his touch for tracking him. As quickly as he could, he made his way to the stables. Luckily, he was uninterrupted on his way there. The stable doors were closed, so he threw them open with one mighty swing. Disappointment overcame him; Aang had taken Appa. He was hoping that he hadn't. Now he would have to travel by ship, which was slower.

"Going somewhere? You know, one of the servants told me that she saw a man jumping across the roof like a monkey; I naturally thought of you."

He whirled around to see Mai, who was giving him a questioning look, "I'm going after Aang."

Her usually neutral face looked shocked, "He's gone somewhere?"

He rubbed his head, "Mai, I need to go after him now, and it's too long of a story to explain. I'm sorry, but I don't have any time to lose."

"I understand."

He was suspicious, "Really?"

"Yes, after all, you'll have plenty of time to explain it to me while we're on the ship."

"Mai, you can't…" he sighed, "Fine, but we need to get down to ships as soon as possible."

"I'll meet you there." With that she ran back into the palace.

He started his trek down to the docks. He didn't want Mai to come, not if the 'threat' was reveled while they were trying to get to Aang, but he knew arguing with her would have been pointless. Besides, she was capable of taking care of herself. He was at the main doors of the palace when he was interrupted yet again.

"My Lord."

He didn't even bother to turn, "I don't have time right now- look, I'm leaving, you know who to leave in charge."

"Leaving? Wait, my Lord! Someone is here to see you! They say it is important, it is about the girl named Katara, the one who went missing!"

He turned to look at the man just as he opened the doors, "Ah, there they are now, my Lord."

A male and female voice cried out at the same time, "Zuko!"

Before he could fully look back, a body was flung against his in a tight hug, and as the person retreated, someone else grabbed his forearm and he was pulled into another hug. Sokka and Suki were both staring up at him. He didn't have a chance to respond since another voiced chimed in.

"Zuko, I'm ready- Sokka, Suki, what are you doing here?" Mai looked at Sokka and Suki in mild shock.

Sokka caught sight of their bags, "You going on vacation? Sorry, but that will have to wait."

Zuko started moving again, pushing the others along as he went, "No, we're going after Aang."

Both Sokka and Suki looked surprised, "What, he went somewhere?"

He took a deep breath as he prepared to explain everything that had happened in the past hour.

They all boarded the Fire Nation ship, "So, there are still Air Nomads!" Sokka looked astonished.

"Yes, and like I said, they took Aang because there is a 'challenge' coming."

Sokka and Suki exchanged worried glanced, "Ah, you have no idea.." Sokka suddenly looked, for a lack of a better term, depressed.

"What is it… wait, didn't my servant say you had news about Katara."

Sokka and Suki both sat down on a crate; Zuko and Mai did the same, "I'll tell them, Suki, alright?" She nodded in agreement, "Things are worse than you think."

He stiffened, "How so?"

"There's no easy way to say this, so…" he explained in one deep, stopples breath, "Ozai forced Katara to travel with him because he had me and Suki, and was threatening to kill us if she didn't do as he said. Why got away from our captors, found Katara, was captured again, and then escaped again. Ozai has his powers back and Katara is stalling for time until Aang can find them!" He collapsed back, gasping for air.

Zuko stared at him as if he had spoken another langue, "My… father?" It felt like he had just been stabbed through the heart with a shard of ice.

Suki took it upon herself to explain, "He's using her for something, Zuko, but we don't know what."

He still seemed dumbfounded, "How did he get his powers back, that's not possible!"

"I wanted to believe that, too, but he threw enough fire balls at us for us to realize the truth." Sokka rose back up and then lowered his head.

"This is way too much to take in for one day." Mai slumped back, rubbing the temples of her head.

Sluggishly, Zuko rose to his feet, "Well… we definitely need to get to Aang then." With the trudge of a defeated man, he walked to the cabin of the ship.

Sokka rose as well, "I'll be in my room…" With the same movements as Zuko, he walked away as well.

Mai and Suki both looked at each other, "I'll take Sokka, you take Zuko." Suki gave the gloomy girl a sad smile.

"Hmm, maybe they want to be alone."

Her smile became a bit more playful, "Well, they are going to tell us that, but I'm sure they actually want us there by their sides."

"You may be right."

"Of course I am. Now, let's initiate operation: Don't Let our Men Mope Around All Day. After all, we need to think of a plan, not play the pity card."

* * *

**Love, hugs, and fireflakes to all who review!**


	20. The New Ally

**xXx Chapter 20 xXx**

**xXx The New Ally xXx**

**xXx Suki xXx**

The door to Sokka's room creaked as Suki opened it, and it produced the same noise as she closed it. Her footsteps echoed as she traveled farther into the room and to Sokka, who was laying on his bed. He didn't move as she approached. Tentatively, she sat down beside him, and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. Still, he did not move. She snuggled closer to him, trying to offer some sense of security.

"Sokka?" The concern in her voice was clear, which caught his attention.

He gave her a glance and brought his hand up to cover her own, "Things just keep getting more and more complicated." He sounded far away and beaten.

She kept her voice soothing, "I know, but it will work out in the end. Things always work out for us in the end."

"I can't believe he's done this…" He voice was bitter.

She raised an eyebrow, "Who are you talking about?"

"Aang." The bitterness was still present.

"Are you mad at Aang?" She was surprised, he actually sounded angry.

He sat up, but Suki kept her hand on his shoulder, and his hand remained on hers, "If he hadn't run off, then we would be closer to finding Katara. Instead, it feels like we've taken two steps back."

She wrapped her arms around him and rested her head on his back, "If Katara was here, she would tell you not to lose hope. So don't, alright?"

"But Suki-"

"No 'buts.'" she pushed against him, "Come on, we need to make a plan. Let's go meet up with Zuko and Mai."

The only response he gave was a sigh.

She stood and jerked him up, "I'm not going to let you brood the day away. We need to do something productive." As she hauled him toward the bedroom door he mumbled a weary compliance.

**xXx Zuko xXx**

He sat on the edge of his bed with his head hung low. Everything around him seemed to be moving in slow motion. Slow, agonizing motion. Every breath, movement, and thought seemed to stab at him with a vehement hatred. He felt dizzy, lost, and he was certain that he could be sick at any moment. He was barely aware of anything around him; it was numb and silent. As his own grief settled down around him, he thought he heard footsteps, but that seem insignificant to him. It was possible that a hand was placed on his shoulder, but he couldn't be sure, and the soft murmur that came after it could have been his name.

"Zuko?" His name came a bit louder this time, but it was by a soft voice.

He forced some of the numbness away and noticed that Mai was sitting by him, with her hand on his shoulder. As the numbness washed over him again, he rested his hand on her lap and pinched the bridge of his nose with his free hand.

"How could all of this happen?" He groaned, "This is all my fault."

Mai lowered her own head in an attempt to catch his eye, "This isn't your fault, Zuko. Why would you think that?"

"I should have put more effort into finding him…"

Even though he couldn't see her, Mai gave him a pitying look, "Your father?"

Something inside him broke, "He has Katara, and even his firebending!" He suddenly stood and moved away from her, "How am I supposed to fix this?"

His back was to her, and then her arms were wrapped around his waist the moment he stopped speaking, "Zuko, _we'll _fix this, you don't have to do this alone."

His mind suddenly flashed back to what he had told Aang. His own words were now playing against him. He slumped his shoulders in defeat and placed his hands on Mai's forearm, "How are _we _supposed to fix this?"

Mai led him back to the bed and forced him sit down again. She kneeled in front of him, and forced him to look up since he had immediately bowed his head down again. Her eyes were strong and understanding; they always had the strangest effects on him. But they were usually good affects.

"That's why we need to meet with the others and figure out what we're going to do."

**xXx Later that Day xXx**

"So, are we going to get Aang? Right away?" Suki directed the question to both Zuko and Sokka, who were both sitting side by side with their heads down.

It was Zuko who offered an answer, "Of course. Where else would we go?" He kept his gaze fixated on the warped metal of the old war ship's deck.

He could hear the hesitance in Suki's voice, "We'll… I know it would make our trip a week longer than it should be, but I was thinking that we should probably pick up Toph."

With heads still low, Sokka and Zuko exchanged glances, "I forgot about Toph."

Sokka shook his head in disbelief , "Me too… we could really use her help. And she would kill us if she found out that we were doing this without her."

Conversation between the two ceased, and everything was silent for a moment, "It's up to you guys. What do you want to do?" Mai tapped lazily on the wooden box she was sitting on.

Both men straightened up, and Zuko spoke, "If we push the ship, we can be at Toph's in five days instead of seven. Then we might be able to make it to the Air Temple in two more days."

Sokka nodded in agreement, "It will take Aang three days to get there, if the monks fly nonstop to the Air Temple. So, four days tops, maybe."

Zuko stood and gripped his chin thoughtfully, "Aang will be at the Air Temple at least three days before us… he should be alright until we get there," he glanced at Sokka, "What do think? We need Toph, but it means we'll to wait longer to get to Katara…"

Sokka gave Suki a fleeting look, "That's alright, I know she'll be fine… She can take care of herself. Besides," he glanced at Suki again, "if Katara was here, she would tell me not to worry."

"If you're sure," he turned, "I'll go tell the captain to pick up the speed."

Sokka started after him, "We should go over the maps to see if we can find a quicker route."

"I agree, we…."

Their voices faded as they walked farther away. Suki smiled at Mai, "Well, that was easier than I thought it would be."

Mai allowed a small smile of her own, "The trick is going to be keeping them this way. We'll have to keep them busy so they don't slip back into their depression."

She gave a nervous laugh, "I think 'depression' is a strong word, but I still agree with you."

**xXx Katara xXx**

As she had predicted, their journey through the woods had passed in complete silence. Unlike she had hoped, her head hadn't cleared at all. If anything, she had just become more confused and angry. Angry at herself, and at Ozai. She compulsively stayed a few feet behind him, with her arms crossed and hair down. Her hair being down was an attempt to put anything between them, even if it was just a flimsy barrier of hair. It also helped to hide the blush that had refused to leave her cheeks since earlier that morning.

It didn't really concern her that it looked like she was hiding- it was what she was doing.

It wasn't long before the trees started to thin, and the nearby coastline came into view. Fire Nation ships were still lined along all of the ports, and Ozai started to lead them down the dirt path adjacent to the forest. After some time, the ships disappeared from view, and they stood on a lonely strip of beach, completely alone. Ozai never turned to face her, which she had no problem with. She would be perfectly fine if he never spoke to her again. If she never had to see him again. But she knew that was hoping for entirely too much.

As time passed, she started to rock back and forth on her heels impatiently, with her arms still crossed and her gaze fixated on the grains of sand at her feet. The sand shifted under her weight, and she soon became lost in their random, yet simple, movements. Suddenly, the pattern was disrupted; a new wave of sand washed over her feet. She immediately jerked back, causing most of the sand to fall away from her.

No sooner than she had retreated, did she look up to see that it was Ozai who had kicked up the sand around her feet. Instinctively, she moved farther back, even though that action had stopped proving useful a long time ago. His hood was down and his hair fell in curtains around his face. His gaze was intent and powerful, unlike they had been the day before. That made it all the easier for her to glare back at him with unbridled hatred. At least she hoped that she was glaring at him with hatred, or something similar to it. As long as it wasn't a…positive feeling she was presenting. She didn't know how she felt, so she didn't have much faith in being able to show appropriate expressions.

As a smirk stretched across his lips, her faith died even more, "Why have you been so quiet, Katara? Is something wrong?"

She felt a mixture of anger and embarrassment, but if he wanted to play, she would play, "Why would _anything _be wrong?" She now felt slightly confused, since she didn't want to 'play' earlier in the day.

She could see a malevolent spark in his eyes, "If you insist that nothing is wrong, then perhaps I should remind you of your resent causes of discomfort- I wouldn't want you to forget."

Anxiety zapped through her, but she was determined to stand her ground, "Don't trouble yourself, it wasn't something worth remembering anyway." She felt out of character by saying such things, but she wasn't going to let him win.

The malevolent glint only seemed to increase, "Then maybe the next time should more memorable."

She hesitated for only a moment, "Maybe, but why don't you hold your breath while you wait."

The conversation was starting to make her uncomfortable, so she spun on her heels and walked away from him. Surprisingly enough, he didn't stop her. She had walked a least a few dozen feet away before she stopped. She breathed in deeply, feeling satisfied with how that episode had turned out.

His powerful voice called out to her, "So tell me, what was it about last night that made you so compliant?"

Her breath caught in her throat, and her heart instantly sank. She should have known that he bring last night up. She had no answer, no excuse. Not for herself, especially not Ozai. To her relief, he did not approach her… she just had to wait to see what he _would _do.

"I hate to tell you this, but silence isn't an answer. Certainly not one that I'm willing to accept."

She merely glared at the deep blue hue of the sky. The day was technically over- she wished that meant that their conversation was over. She knew it was wistful thinking, but all she could afford to do was hope. It was probably the only thing that was currently holding her together. She definitely felt like she could fall apart at any moment.

She was abruptly woken from her thoughts when a heavy hand was placed on her shoulder. After a slight squeak, she jumped away from him. In response, he took hold of her arm again, and forced her to face him. She only had to suffer his stare for a few moments before they were interrupted.

"My Lord."

Ozai looked off to the side, and Katara took that as a chance to pull away from him. He maintained his grip on her for a mere second before freely tossing it aside, and he then moved away from her. Relief filled her for only a moment. The demonic expression Ozai wore as he walked away made her look to where he was going.

An ex-Fire Nation soldier stood- stiff and straight- by the shore. The waves behind him rocked back and forth against the sand, as if a storm was affecting the tide. Peering farther behind him, she could see a dark shape bobbing on the water- it must have caused the disruption of the waves. She couldn't tell what it was, but it was probably a ship.

"We are ready for departure, my Lord." The man bowed deeply.

"The guards have been distracted?"

"Yes, my Lord. All is ready."

His voice took on an almost creepy quality, "Excellent," his snapped his head back to her, "Katara, come."

Reluctantly, she fallowed after him, and the new man fallowed her after she passed. She heard the sloshing of water, but didn't see the water line until she was on top of it. Through the darkness, she could see Ozai, who was now sitting in a small boat. Apparently, she was taking too long. The man behind her shoved her shoulder.

"Go on girl, we don't have all night."

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the man warily looking from side to side. With a huff, she carefully climbed into the boat. No sooner than she sat down did the man come in right behind her. Without a moment's hesitation, the man started to row the boat toward to the dark object further out into the water. In no time at all, the boat came to a stop, and Ozai immediately stood and climbed out of the it. The man behind her urged to move again.

Blindly, she held out her hand and gripped the metal rungs of a ladder. She climbed and climbed… and was a little confused. How big was this ship? When she finally reached the top, she stayed close to the side railings since it was too dark for her see. She briefly wandered by Ozai, or the other man, wouldn't light the way, but she quickly discarded it. They wouldn't want to give away their position by producing a fire on the ocean. She heard a metal door swinging open. Ozai and the soldier obviously knew where they were going, but she didn't.

On cue, and hand started pushing her along, "This way."

The soldiers grip wasn't harsh, which she found odd. Regardless, she allowed him to lead her to the door. When they stopped, he took hold of her hand and placed it on the bars of some railing.

"You have to step up, then go down."

Her eyes widened, "It's a submarine?" She was surprised, not many more of these vessels were made after the war.

With much more ease, she stepped up to the portal and decended the small ladder. As soon as she reached the bottom, she heard the hatch close and the sounds of the soldier decending the ladder. The narrow hallway they stood in was lighted, and she could see that this was, in fact, a submarine. The flames cast fleeting shadows on the metal walling of the underwater ship. The man was standing beside her, but Ozai was not.

"Where did he go?" She didn't like that he had just suddenly disappeared.

"I'm to take you to your room." Was his only response.

He pushed her along, with the same non-forcefulness as before. They passed a few more soldires before reaching her assigned room. He opened the door for her and stood aside. Without a word to him, she entered the drab room. She gave a sigh of relief when the door closed behind her, but her eyes widened when she heard footsteps that where obliviously still in her room. She spun, and glared at soldier who had not left. She moved to attack, but the man threw off his helmet and held up his hands in surrender. Still, she didn't lower her guard.

"Wait, I'm not going to hurt you," he gave her a stressed smile, "My name is Jin."

She kept her position, "I know you _can't _hurt me."

He brushed off her comment" You're Katara, aren't you, the waterbender? A friend of the Avatar?"

She suddenly realized that her hood was still down, "Um, I…"

He sensed her nervousness and shook his head back and forth, "I know what this looks like, but I'm not your enemy."

She relaxed, but only slightly, "What?"

He gave a hesitant glance back to the door, "Look," he moved further into the room, "I used to be a soldier for Ozai, before the war ended."

He looked down, as if ashamed, "I wasn't pardoned for my actions, and I had no right to be pardoned. So I was locked away. Some of Ozai's men got me out, thinking that I would help them in their 'cause.' I took their offer, and I've played Ozai faithful servant, but I soon realized that I didn't want to help him."

"You're planning against him?" She spoke slowly and carefully, not being sure if she trusted him yet.

"As much as I can," he took a deep breath, "You see, I'm a fugitive… I can't just walked up to a soldier and say I know where Ozai is…. He's been keeping a close eye on me, I don't think he trusts me, not anymore. Besides, everyone here knows where my family is…"

There was a long moment of silence before she spoke, "You really want to stop Ozai?"

He looked into her eyes, "Yes, the war tore me apart from my wife and kids, and it didn't get any better when it ended. I can't let him do this to more families. Not again."

She didn't want to trust an ex-Fire Nation soldier, but the sincerity in his eyes were real, "What's your plan so far?"

"I have a trusted contact in the Fire Nation, he'll be waiting for use when we get to the there."

She blinked in surprise, "We're going to the Fire Nation?"

"We'll, I think there are a few stops along the way, but yes, we're going to be in the Fire Nation in the end. When we get there, he'll be arrested."

She frowned, "It's not going to be that simple. Ozai, he… he has his bending back."

He stared at her in disbelief, "We'll that… that complicates things."

She quickly reasoned, seeing his sadden state, "Don't worry, when we get there, I can help, I've fought with Ozai before."

"Really?"

"Yes, and my friends are sure to find a way to help, too. My brother has gone to get Aang."

She still wasn't sure if she could completely trust this man, but during their conversation, she realized how deeply she wanted to. Being with Ozai these past few days had filled her with nothing but paranoia and distrust. So, she would take a chance and trust this man, even if it ended up blowing up in her face later. Based on his reaction to her, it seemed that wanted someone to trust as well. He told her everything without her asking for it.

"The Avatar… right, he can beat him again." His spirit seemed to lift.

"Of course." Honestly, she had her concerns about it, but she didn't want to upset him again.

He gave another nervous glance back to the door, "I have to go, if I'm gone for too long, the other men start looking for me."

He gave her a thankful nod before slipping back into his Fire Nation soldier persona, and then he departed without another word. When his footsteps faded away, she sat down on her bed and allowed herself to really think about what had just happened. If that man could be trusted, should she really trust him? If Ozai suspected him, would it be wise to plan with him? She shook her head- someone had just asked for her help. She couldn't turn away. Even if it was an ex-Fire Nation soldier.

**xXx Ozai xXx**

He sat on an elaborate chair, in the largest and most comfortable room the submarine had to offer. He laced his fingers together as he relished in the aftermath of the meeting he had just held. All was going well. Very well. They had slipped away from the coastline without any problems. The course was set for the island that laid a few dozen miles away from the mainland, and the waters were acting in his favor. If everything continued to run smoothly, they should be at the island by early morning.

He relaxed further into the chair and closed his eyes. It wouldn't hurt to go through his plans for tomorrow one more time. His men would not accompany to the island, he barely trusted them with getting the submarine here. It would be best if he were to go alone… His mood slipped slightly. He couldn't leave Katara here- for a number of reasons. He did not doubt that she would get in the way, but he couldn't shake the feeling that he would need her.

His mood slipped further. Her trust in him wasn't nearly as complete as he hoped it would be by now, and he was running out of time. If he was right, her would have the means to defeat the Avatar in a manner of days. It wouldn't do him any good to have the weapon if Katara would not use it for him. He groaned, trying to decide if he should act tonight. It would be best to not give her too many breaks. Besides, she practically had the whole day to herself. The whole day to mull things over. He was curious to see how all that time to think had affected her.

He pushed himself up from his chair- thinking of her had already destroyed his lighter state of mind. He would deal with her now since he would have the rest of his life to be in a relatively good mood. He passed a handful of men on his way to Katara's room. Some of them he trusted, others he didn't. All of them bowed as he passed, but then quickly carried on with what they were doing. At least they could manage to work efficiently. With any luck, they wouldn't crash the submarine into anything.

After walking to the other end of the ship, he finally reached her room. He placed his hand on the doorknob, but stopped himself short in pulling it open. Perhaps she would respond better if he knocked rather than coming in unannounced. He forced a calm, unnatural expression, and rapped on the door three times. Within seconds, the door slowly creaked open. Her neutral countenance morphed into a distraught one as she stepped back and self-consciously crossed her arm over her chest.

She avoided eyed contact, "What?" Her question was mumbled and weak. Perfect.

He kept the malice out of his voice, "Is that any way to greet me?"

Her body stiffened, "This conversation isn't going to go anywhere if you answer a question with another question."

He looked around her room; it was probably the smallest in the ship. Perhaps he should have called on her. It would have been amusing to know that she would have had to force herself to come to him. Maybe next time.

He tilted his head to side, "This conversation… Tell me, what do you want to talk about?"

She didn't move or speak.

"Conversations tend to be even more difficult when they are one-sided."

He could just barely make out the frown on her lips, "I don't want to talk about anything."

"Is that so? There's nothing you can think of?"

"Nothing." He could hear the aggravation in her voice.

He was a bit discouraged. She was being far too reluctant. This wasn't the stage he wanted her to be at at all. She was supposed to be weakening, but she still showed all signs of hating him. He inwardly groaned, knowing that this was going to be long night. One he wasn't going to enjoy.

* * *

**Love, hugs, and fireflakes to all who review!**


	21. The Dagger

**xXx Chapter 21 xXx**

**xXx The Dagger xXx**

Even though her heart wasn't in it, she gave him a fixed glare, "Actually, there _is _something I want to talk about."

He raised an eyebrow, slightly interested, "What would that be?" he had a feeling that the conversation was about to swerve away from his goal.

She made a sweeping gesture to the room, "Where did you get this?"

He knew what she was referring to, but decided to ignore it, "Well, a week or so ago, a girl wandered into my cell and unwittingly left the key-"

A furious red tinted her cheeks as she cut him off, "I meant the submarine!"

He crossed his arms in annoyance, "That is my secrete."

"One of many, I'm sure."

He gave a taut smirk, "Yes, one of the many that you will never know."

Her face flared further, "This is one of the submarines that we used on The Day of Black Sun, where did you get it?"

"If I recall correctly, that attack was a failure, and you left the submarines behind."

She felt a tinge of frustration, "After the war ended, Zuko gave the ships back to its creator. So how did you get this one?"

"I don't see how it matters."

"I say it does matter."

He decided that he wasn't going to encourage a headache over this, "One of my men, Jin, acquired it."

Her surprise was overtly evident, "Acquired… by what means?"

He took a step closer as he studied her suddenly rigid body language, "Not friendly, I assure you."

Silence spread across the room, the only sound coming from the gentle creaks of the ship as it moved in the seawater. The too and fro motion of the submarine became rhythmic and maddening as the reticently between the two took control of the situation. Surely, this was just another lie, but why would he lie about this? Unless he knew that Jin had had contact with her. There were way too many possible situations for her count, and attempting to do so only made her head spin. She needed time to sort out her thoughts and to then to find Jin. Ozai needed to leave.

She tried to keep her newfound wariness at bay, "I asked you to leave."

His stare continued to burn her, "Yes… I heard you the first time."

She frowned when he made no move to leave, "And yet you're still here," she shook her head, "will you just leave, please?"

With calm indifference he said, "I think not."

"I don't want you here, just get out." she didn't scream, but it seemed that way in the small room.

He took a step toward her, "It's my ship, so I'll go where ever I please," his grin spread, "and I want to be here."

She averted her eyes and muttered, "This isn't your ship, and I want you to leave."

His eyes narrowed threateningly at her words, but he quickly recomposed himself, "what you want…" an indescribable glint shinned in his eyes as he spoke slowly, "tell me, Katara, when do you think someone else's desires have ever been of any importance to me?"

That caught her off guard, because it was a completely valid point, and it caused her to stumble over her words as she looked back up to him, "I.. t-that not the…"

Her response, which was going nowhere, was cut short when he pushed her back against the wall behind her; his eyes never left hers, "If you think I care what you want, then you're not as smart as I thought you to be. Unless," he leaned closer, " you have become too… comfortable with me."

She could feel the blood rushing to her face, but she didn't move, "Don't flatter yourself." she said through gritted teeth.

"So, you're saying that you're not smart?"

She immediately responded with a loud, "No!"

He raised an eyebrow, "Then you are comfortable with me?"

"No!"

"It's either one or the other, Katara."

She squirmed, but his hand was placed heavily against her shoulder, "No, it's not." she hoped that he couldn't hear the doubt in her voice.

He let his lips hover above hers, "Then why don't you tell me what it is."

A little bit of confidence came back to her as she saw a chance to use his own words against him, "My reason doesn't matter, remember? Since my desires don't mean anything, then neither do my opinions. Right?"

The grip on her shoulder tightened painfully, but it went away just as quickly, "It matters when I demand an answer."

Once again, silence stretched across the room.

**xXx Jin xXx**

An old, cracked painting of a woman and a child stared up at Jin from the withered parchment, which was held lightly in his hands. The woman, Chi, was his wife. The stare painted-Chi gave him was cold yet beautiful, like a cloud hidden sun. He wished that it was only the quality of the painting. But it wasn't. His wife, despite living in the Fire Nation all of her life, did not approve of the actions of the Fire Lords. She was against the war, and he was part of the army. Of course, she had hidden the truth from him, for fear of her own life.

However, he had eventually discovered her true feelings. One night, in her hast to comfort their crying child, she had left her journal open. By accident, in passing by, he glimpsed at the words. Since he thought Chi had nothing to hide from him, he saw no harm in reading her thoughts on the day. With a heart-wrenching discovery, he realized that he had been wrong. Thoughts like those, the ones Chi was having, were not allowed in the Fire Nation.

Out of love, he did not turn her in, but their relationship suffered. Chi became fearful and distant. The child in painting, Ren, saw how her mother kept her distance, and did the same, even though she didn't know why. Perhaps it was a mistake on his part; he never let Chi know how much her actions were hurting him. Even after the war, things didn't get better; the damage was done. The paranoia wouldn't go away. Not to mention the fact that he had imprisoned shortly after the war's end.

"Here you go, Jin."

Two metal trays were dropped down in front of him, so he quickly put the picture away and took up the trays of gray food. He muttered his thanks to the cook and walked out of the small eating area. His let his thoughts roam freely again as his solitary footsteps echoed down the cramped hallway. Being here, trying to stop Ozai, was a way of making up for his past mistakes. And even though he knew it was unlikely, he hoped that he would be reunited with his family after this was over.

He cast his wistful thoughts aside when he reached the door to Katara's room. While balancing a tray on his forearm, he knocked on the door and pushed it open when no response came. His eyes feel on Ozai's back, which he was surprised to see, and even more surprised to see that there was no Katara. As Ozai shifted to glare at him, a red-faced Katara was revealed. He glanced between the two of them nervously.

Ozai pushed himself away from the blushing girl, "Jin, what are you doing here?"

He flinched but quickly stood at attention, "I was bringing the girl food, my Lord."

Ozai gave him one last fixed glare, "Very well."

As Ozai left the room, he heard the sigh of relief that came from Katara, and he gave her a worried look, "Are you alright?"

When her eyes met his, they were clod and hard, like the eyes of his wife, "I'm fine."

He moved closer as she slumped down into a chair, "What was he-"

She cut him off, desperate to change the subject, "Where did this ship come from?"

He didn't want to let his question drop, but he knew what point she was making, "Why do you ask?"

She looked him directly in the eye, "Ozai said that you got this ship."

With a sigh, he dragged a chair towards him and sat down in front of her, "Yes, I did." he ran a hand through his hair in a nervous manner.

""How did you get it? I know the man who made these ships, and I doubt he would have given one of them to an ex-Fire Nation soldier."

He placed his elbows on his knees and stared down at the floor, "No, he didn't."

"What did you do?" she whispered hoarsely.

He quickly looked up, "I didn't hurt the old man, or his kid, I just took it as quietly as I could. I didn't want to, but you have to understand, if someone else had been sent… those two would have been killed."

The conversation between them died as she looked away from him. He wanted to explain more to her, to make her trust him, but he couldn't let his earlier worries go, "Katara, whatever game that man is playing, you can't let him win."

Without looking at him, she answered, "I know."

He didn't want to push it, since it was making her uncomfortable, but he couldn't let her deal with Ozai alone, "You do know it's just a game, right?"

Her blue eyes snapped up to his, "Of course I know."

"Are you sure? You seem confused and… affected by what he's doing. Just now, and on the beach."

A blush covered her cheeks again, "He isn't getting to me."

He put his hands up in defense, "I'm not trying to upset you, I'm just trying to help. Look, you're still so young, I don't think it can be easy for you to deal with what he's putting you through.

She averted her gaze again, "It's been worse than this, hasn't it?"

She wrapped her arms around herself, "It's nothing I can't handle."

There was a moment of silence, "If you're dealing with it by ignoring it, then you're not doing much.

She didn't reply, "Katara, let me help you."

"I don't need help because he's not getting to me," she rose from her chair, "please leave. I want to go to sleep."

With some hesitation, he rose and grabbed up his tray of food, "Alright, but eat before you do… good night."

Even though he knew he should do more to help, he respected her wishes and left the room with a heavy heart.

**xXx Katara xXx**

The tears swelled in her eyes as the door closed behind Jin. He was trying to help and she had pushed him away. She slumped down onto her bed. Ozai was _not _getting to her. She didn't help with dealing with him. Did she? No, certainly not. She wasn't stupid, she knew Ozai wasn't sincere. Regardless, the tears rolled down her flushed cheeks. Sniffing, she tried to send them away. This couldn't go on much longer, Aang would find her soon. She knew he would. She closed her eyes, hopping that would stop the tears, but instead, she was pulled into a deep sleep with the tears still trickling from her eyes.

**xXx Dream xXx**

"_Just a little longer, child._"

The darkness swirled around her like steam, lightly caressing her cold skin. She shivered and searched for the Lion Turtle, but could see nothing. Even though she didn't open her mouth, her voice echoed eerily in the vast emptiness, "Where are you?"

"_Fear not,_ _young one. You need not see me, but I am here._"

Her voice rang out again, "Why have you come to me again?"

"_You are troubled. I am here to tell you that you need only hold on a little longer._"

"I don't know if I can." this time, her voice bounced softly about her.

"_You must, the fate of the world depends upon your resolve._"

"But I-"

A new, but still mystical voice, tried to cut her off, "_**Waterbender…**_" the voice was far off, but strong.

She gasped, and looked around blindly once again, "What…?"

The old voice immediately interjected, "_Ignore it, young one_, _do not listen._"

"What was it?" she strained her ears to hear it again.

"_One that would deceive you._"

"_**Don't listen-**_"

The world around her began to fade, "_Remember what I have said, just a little longer._"

The dream faded, as did both of the voices.

**xXx End Dream xXx**

**xXx The Lion Turtle xXx**

His attempt to reach the Waterbender had failed. His counterpart had prevented him from entering her dream. Somehow, he was always prevented. He could not reach the girl, or the Avatar. Somehow, his counterpart was getting stronger, even though the world's balance was in the Lion Turtle's favor. If he could not reach the girl, or the Avatar, in time, then a catastrophic battle would ensue between himself and his counterpart.

He had to keep trying, or all could be lost.

**xXx The Next Day xXx**

**xXx Katara xXx**

As her blurry eyes blinked away the sleep, a soft pounding drummed through her ears. She rubbed at her eyes as she dragged herself up, and the pounding came again, this time louder and quicker. Lazily, she looked over at the metal door, which shook in its frame as someone tried to force it open. Without saying anything, she dragged herself over to the quaking door and unlocked it. The door swung open, but she had purposely stood far enough back to avoid being hit. As she expected, Ozai stood on the threshold, with his cloak on and hood up.

He grabbed the cloak and bag that hung from the coat rack and shoved them into Katara's still-numb-from-sleep hands, "Come, it's time to go." he turned away from her and proceeded down the narrow hallway.

As she walked, she fumbled with her cloak and bag until everything was situated to her liking. Once that was no longer her primary task, she noticed that they were nearing the porthole that lead to the surface. Trying not to act concerned, she looked around for Jin, but saw no sign of him. He said they were going to the Fire Nation, but they shouldn't be there if that was the case. This must be one of the other stops he had mentioned. Regardless of their destination, she kept an eye out for him, but by the time they reached the ladder, she had still not seen him.

As the hatch was opened by an unknown man, the smell of ocean water and flowers fluttered into the metal ship. Ozai ascended the ladder first, so she glared down the dim hallway in search of Jin, but to no avail. She would have continued to wait if the unknown man had not told to go up the ladder. As she did so, she gave one last glance down the hallway, but the outcome was the same. When she stepped out into the blinding sun, the hatch was closed behind her.

"Down there, Waterbender." off to her side, a man stood, with a finger pointed down the side of the ship.

When she peered over the side, she saw Ozai and another man sitting in a boat. For a moment she thought the other man was Jin, but it was not. With a sunken heart, she gripped the ladder at the side of the ship and made her way down to the small boat. She stumbled as she landed down but managed to recover before falling over the side of the boat.

Once she was seated, the man, who had a brown goatee, started rowing the boat. Without much effort on her part, she found their destination; an island directly in front of them. After a few minutes of silence, the boat finally made its crunching contact with the sandy shore of the island. Ozai abandoned the boat, and without being told to do so, she followed him. When she looked for Goatee-Man, she found that he was already rowing away from them.

She turned to Ozai, who was facing the forest line, "No one's coming with us?" she was unable to hide the surprise and unhappiness in her voice.

Her turned and gave her a spectacle look, "Why does it matter? We haven't had another person traveling with us for a few days now."

She shifted from side to side in the grainy sand, "I just thought that you would bring another soldier along."

He cast his gaze back to the forest, "This is an uninhabited island. There's nowhere here you can wander off to."

She looked out to the ocean; the Earth Kingdom was barely visible in the horizon, "What are we doing here?" she got his typical answer: silence and the sound of him walking away. Reluctantly, she paced him, trying to keep a reasonable distance between them.

After what seemed like an hour of trekking through the dying foliage of the woods, something made them both stop in their tracks. The chanting, like she had heard in her dreams, sounded through the chirping and scampering of the forest animals. Silently, and cautiously, Ozai moved forward. Just as silently, she followed, even though she felt like screaming for joy. Could the Lion Turtle really be somewhere near? Was it going to take Ozai's powers away again? She bit her lip in order to keep her excitement in cheek.

However, her excitement seemed to die away on its own, and after a few more moments, she began to tire. Wordlessly, she watched as Ozai moved farther and farther away from her, for she was moving slower. Even though she had woken only an hour or two ago, sleepiness washed over her. She slumped from tree to tree, and noticed that Ozai's pace was slowing as well. The chanting came in a slower, even more rhythmic melody. With each beat, she slowed more and more. As the tunes started to echo around her, she found herself falling to the forest ground, the leaves crunching loudly under the weight of her body.

A calming, yet terrifying darkness surrounded her, and the island around her disappeared from view.

**xXx Later xXx**

Just as the chanting had put her to sleep, it woke her up. An orange and red sky, boarded by green leaves came into view. She groaned and rolled to her side, and pushed herself up from the green ground. As she rubbed her head, she heard a groan that belonged to Ozai's voice. She looked off to the side, some distance away, and saw Ozai waking up in the same manner. She looked away from him and took in her surroundings; they were still on the island. At least, that was her first impression.

She ran her hand through the green grass below her, and when her hand pulled away, so did a clump of the grass. Out of curiosity, she placed her hand back on the bare surface of the ground. With a jolt, she jerked her hand away once she realized what it was. She remembered from Aang's description. She stared down at the dirt, which wasn't dirt. They must have left the island they were on to begin with. The Lion Turtle. Her heart lifted.

"Katara?"

She turned to see that Ozai was standing, and running a hand through his disheveled hair, "What?"

He gave her an annoyed glare, "What happened?"

She spun on her heals and let her eyes wander over the scenery, "How should I know? You wouldn't even tell me where we were."

Before he could respond, a familiar voice echoed through the woods, "_You have come._"

Ozai looked around in alarm, ready to fight if it was necessary, but Katara remained calm, "Come for what?"

"Be quiet, Katara."

Her aggravation was never voiced, "_Follow the trail…_" the voice faded away, and a trail of dully glowing dust lined the side of the island's incline.

She waited impatiently for Ozai to move, knowing that if she followed the trail before him, he would never follow. After a few more moments, he finally did move, and started to moved up the steep hill. She kept close to him, wanting to at least see the top of the island at the same time he did.

As she moved, the air around her became colder, and her hope and calm seemed to be melting away. A sense of foreboding came when their surroundings started to change. To morph. On all sides, the tress started to die. Their bark darkened and cracked; the leaves turned brown and fell from the branches. They landed on the ground, which was now muddy and unwelcoming. The light from above dimmed into a faint glow until it was only as bright as the trail they were following.

Something wasn't right.

With a thick voice, she whispered, "Ozai, what's going on?"

They reached the top of the island, where the shell of the Turtle would be seen if it wasn't so dark. Or course, she was starting to think that this was not the Lion Turtle. Ozai stopped, but he leaned forward, squinting at something. She followed his gaze and saw a tiny boulder, on which sat something that shinned dully. Out of the corned of her eye, she saw Ozai stretch out a hand. It was almost fully extended when something zapped the tip of his fingers. He jerked his hand back and glared at it; thin trails of smoke came from his burnt fingers. She had been curious about the item, but not so much now.

"_Only one may collect the dagger._"

She was confused, since Ozai had tried to go forward without her, "Only one? What does that mean?"

A dead wind blew, and pushed her closer than Ozai had gotten, "_Only one._"

She remained still, wishing to go no further, but Ozai called out to her, "Pick it up, Katara."

She shook her head, "I don't think I…"

The voice spoke again, inside her head, "_Trust me, take hold of the dagger._"

She let her thoughts respond to the voice, "But, everything seems so wrong. Everything seems dead. This isn't the Lion Turtle Aang described to me."

The voice had a response ready to go, "_We must trick the Fire Lord, he must think this is a place of darkness._"

She swallowed hard and cautiously moved forward, not entirely certain of her decision. A moment ago, she thought this thing wasn't the Lion Turtle. As she continued forward, she debated about the Lion Turtle's identity. What other being, besides the Lion Turtle, could do this? More importantly, it wasn't letting Ozai letting near the so-called dagger. It must be something for her. Maybe something that could beat Ozai.

With that belief, she closed her fingers around the hilt of the dagger. It shinned dully for a few seconds, and then she could see it clearly. The crystal dagger was light in her hand, and it seemed to vibrate with power. As the energy moved through her body, an unpleasant thought came to her.

Was this what Ozai was after?

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**Love, hugs, and fireflakes to all who review!**


	22. Trapped

**Haha, I'm so glad all of you _loved _the evil cliff hanger. But now the torture is over! :D**

* * *

**xXx Chapter 22 xXx **

**xXx Trapped xXx**

With her back still to Ozai, Katara stared down at the crystalline dagger that shimmered dully in her hands. Only moments ago, the stare had been one of amazement and hope, but that was no longer the case. Uneasy and worried eyes peered at the knife; it presented more questions than answers. Nagging and frightening questions. She closed her eyes in the hope that she would think more clearly if she didn't have to look at her source of confusion. She had to discover the truth about this item. She couldn't afford to be wrong. She couldn't afford any more mistakes.

The Lion Turtle had sent her here. That was what she had believed. If that was true, then why did the dagger feel so evil? Something meant to save humanity shouldn't have an air of anything other than purity. Her reasoning led her back to her earlier suspicion. Ozai had said that he was after something, and he did demand her to pick the dagger up. If this was something he wanted, she couldn't let him have it. Anything the man behind her desired couldn't be good. Not for her, or the world. Her increasing paranoia also caused her to doubt the voice that had been leading her here. Could she really trust the voice that was claiming to be the Lion Turtle? What if she was being fooled?

She took a deep breath to calm her rising panic and she tried to sort out her thoughts. There were two categories that things needed to be sorted into. Those she trusted: Aang, Sokka, Suki, Toph, Zuko, and possibly Jin. Those who she couldn't: Ozai and voices she couldn't identify. As she repeated that over and over again in her head, she stumbled upon a realization. She also trusted her own judgment, which was something she had been ignoring, whether she knew it or not. That would have to come to a stop. She couldn't hope to accomplish anything if she didn't trust herself. If there was one thing she had learned in her journeys during the war, it was to trust her own judgment.

Until she could reach the others that she did trust, it was up to her to deal with Ozai. To do everything she could in order to delay his plans. She may not be able to win in a fight against him (but she did think it would be close), she had faith that she could lead him to Aang. However, she would fight with all her strength if he attempted to take the dagger from her. She would sooner die than let him take something that radiated with such an odd energy. Even if he did try to take it from her, the full moon was drawing closer. She hadn't used it since the war, but she would use bloodbending if she had to. That would certainly stop him. She took a deep, invigorating breath. For the first time in over a week, she felt like herself. What was more important was that she didn't feel Ozai's influence over her.

She decided that her suspicions weren't unfounded. It wasn't fear or paranoia. It was the truth.

"Katara." his voice was low, yet peaked with interest.

She could tell that he had moved to stand behind her, and she turned on her heels before he could say or do anything more. After looking directly into his amber eyes, she looked down at the dagger and then stowed it in the waistband of her pants. A flicker of frustration shinned in Ozai's eyes as she walked past him, and then his fingers wrapped around her arm.

She glared up at him with a frustration that matched his own, "What?"

He raised an eyebrow as he studied her for a moment, "The dagger."

Her expression remained unchanged, "What about it?"

A frown tugged at his lips, "Give it to me."

She shook his hand away "No, it was given to me, not you."

"You will do as I—"

She cut him off, "Not this time, this dagger is mine… why would you want it anyway?" she stared at him with intent.

He glared at her with a new kind of hatred and said nothing, so she pressed him further, "Why would something as simple as a dagger be of any importance to you? I can't imagine why you would want it or need it."

In another act of defiance, she wrapped her slim fingers around the circular pendant that held her cloak together and unclasped it. The dark material fell to the ground softly, and its landing caused dead leaves to fly away from it in a flutter of air. It felt a little odd to think so, but it was almost as if she could breathe easier without it. More confidence came back to her as she saw the angered expression on Ozai's face. Abandoning her disguise stood for something, and he was smart enough to see it.

His stunned, yet irritated silence gave her a chance to walk away from him. As she did, she kicked the cloak aside. That simple action made her feel like she was regaining some level of control over her life. She was able to breathe easier. Given her new found courage, she did not shrink away when the familiar chanting echoed through the air. However, she did stop and strategically searched the surrounding area. If she could find any physical anomaly that accompanied the chanting, it might help her discover the truth. As her eyelids became heavy, she struggled to continue her search.

Despite her best efforts to stay awake, she felt herself sinking down to the black and charred ground beneath her. As drowsiness pulled her away from the real world, she tried to stay attach. She was able to hold on long enough to tell that the area around her was changing. It was not becoming better; it was becoming worse. The air was dead, stale, and cold. Everything was darker and more suffocating than it was before. It felt as if a beast could emerge from the darkness at any moment. She gave one last desperate look, which revealed nothing, before an induced sleep took her over.

**xXx Dream xXx**

Fire engulfed formally green grasses; it leaped from tree to tree; it lapped at the sea shore; it blackened the sky with smoke. The sound of the crackling flames spread across the scorched land. The barren, black land. There were no screaming or fleeing people. The only things that seemed to exist were the red and orange flames, which slowly devoured everything in sight. With malicious intent, the fire marched and stomped across anything that had yet been scorched. The expanse of charred ground was alight with the overpowering burn of the fire, and the sky was smudged a dreadful black that could not be pierced by any light.

From within the swirling smoke, something moved. It started off slow; its movements were twisty and snakelike. Its dark surface shinned dully with the light from the fire. Reptilian scales flashed as it started to move faster; it moved away from the ground. A low growl rippled through the smoke and fire, and it soon erupted into an untamed roar. Red eyes pierced the darkness of the smog; they burned with the same intensity of the fire.

The beast rose up and away from the ground; it went in swirling motions around the island. The fire climbed and climbed after the monster, licking at its tail. The flames cut through the smoke and gave light to the formally black sky. However, the burning light only added to the terror. Boats, whose colors had been burned away, bobbed on the ocean. They moved up and down violently, and their flaming decks lit the dark ocean like stars in the midnight sky. Still, the roaring fire was the only sound. The boats and ships were abandoned, left alone to sink into the water.

The creature created huge gusts of wind, which sent the smoke rolling out onto the ocean. The fire bowed beneath the strength of the onslaught of wind. The blaze was chased away, revealing the burned and shattered ground. From the top of the island, the fire was stripped away from the royal houses. Their charred remains matched the condition of the grand wall surrounding the Fire Nation Palace. The palace itself was the least damaged. Small patches of black spotted the palace walls.

With the area being clear of flames, the beast glided down to the palace and landed with a crunching sound. Its body was twisted together with a large tree from the palace garden; the tree was torn from its roots. The creature's slender body slammed against the pond and sent its murky water skyward. The muddy water rained down on the garden, and it coated everything in a dirty layer of brown. The palace garden rested in shambles as the monster coiled itself.

With the fire gone, everything was silent.

**xXx Lion Turtle xXx**

The dream had been his first success. He was still unable to call out to the waterbender, but he could manage simple things. It had been a warning. Something dangerous was going to be gained by the former Fire Lord, and Katara needed to know. The Avatar needed to know as well, but his counterpart had the defensives around the Avatar's mind impassable. Something else was blocking him from the Avatar's mind, but he wasn't sure what it was. The only one he could reach right now, on any level, was the girl.

Thanks to the girl, he now knew what made the defensives around their minds so strong. Any internal struggle blocked him from them. Luckily, the girl had just pulled away from her thoughts of confusion and fear. She had a breakthrough. The waterbender had pushed the firebender away. She cleared her mind, and remembered who she was. Furthermore, she doubted his counterpart. The girl knew someone was lying to her and using her—someone besides the man. As long as she kept her mind clear, he could offer what little help he could. Perhaps, with a little more time, he could to speak to her.

Despite her improvements, he was still worried. The firebender was getting stronger with every passing day. He feared what would happen if he decided that he longer needed the girl. The waterbender may be strong, but he didn't know how she would fare in a match against him if he was at full strength. Soon, the firebender would regain his ability to summon and control lighting. Furthermore, he may gain even more power than he used to have.

**xXx The Next Day xXx**

**xXx Katara xXx**

She sprang up from the ground, with her heart pounding through her chest. She placed a hand on her forehead and wiped away the sweat. A ragged breath rippled through her as she tried to calm herself. The dream—the nightmare—had seemed so real. Every detail about the palace had been exact: the trees, the pond, and even the palace gates. She could feel the heat of the fire, and the blowing of the wind. The beast, what she recognized as a dragon, had been a true heart stopping force. When it roared, the sound vibrated all around her. Its piercing eyes were alive with power and anger. Even though she wanted nothing more than to push it aside, she committed the entire event to memory. With her past dreams, she didn't know if this one had any importance. However, she decided not to dwell on it. Since she doubted the authenticity of the voice that claimed to be The Lion Turtle, she wasn't going to take any of her dreams to heart. With one final, deep breath, she stood and looked around.

Her heart skipped a beat. They were no longer surrounded by forest; dead or alive. She stood upon white sand, with the noon sun shining down on her. The expanse of sand was thin, and ended where the green tree line began. A few mountainous hills dotted the smudges of green. Something of a tan color pocked out from the trees, but she couldn't tell what it was. Everything around her looked exotic and untamed, like it had been left alone for centuries. There were shrill sounds of calling birds mixed with the sounds of the ocean water crashing against the shore. Unlike the previous island, this one was alive with noise. However, it was nothing chaotic; it was simply natural.

Tearing her attention away from her surroundings, she scanned the area for Ozai. He was on the ground, and still unconscious. Hopefully, he would stay like that for a while longer. She stared at his sleeping form briefly before turning. With certainty, she knew that she not going to wake him. She was going to find out where they were on her own. If there was something here that Ozai needed, she had to find it first. Perhaps she could even discover answers about the dagger. After turning on her heals, she made her way toward the forest line.

**xXx Aang xXx**

In a meditative pose, he sat in the center of a grand chamber. This was a room he had never seen before, which he found very odd. He thought he knew every inch of this temple. The room was circular in design and had a large skylight in place of a ceiling. Gentle light twinkled in through the glass and made the room sparkle. On the Eastern wall of the room, the Air Nomad symbol glittered of yellow stones. The Western wall held the Earth Kingdom symbol, which flashed with jade stones. Red gems flickered with the Fire Nation symbol on the South wall. The Water Tribe symbol glistened of sapphire on the Northern wall. Pillars of white marble supported the structure, and stood between each of the nation's symbols. All four columns depicted masters bending their given element. The white floors had a spiraling gold design, which became more compact as it reached the center of the room.

On a bright day, the room could easily blind anyone who dared to step inside. Since Aang's eyes were closed in the act of meditation, his sight was spared. He had been siting motionless since sun rise, and he was beginning to grow anxious. Normally, he could enter a meditative trance and stay like that for long periods of times. However, this wasn't a typical situation. He wanted to speak and bond with the remainder of his people, but he was ushered into this room upon their arrival. The ride to the temple hadn't served him any good. The majority of the trip had passed in silence. Not that he hadn't tried to start a conversation. For whatever reason, they seemed unwilling to share anything with him.

He felt very alone. He didn't have the monks, Zuko, or Katara. Even worse, he couldn't reach Roku, or any of the other past Avatars. After a few hours of useless meditation, he had tried calling out to Roku, but the attempt had failed. This caused some internal dread; what if his link to them had been broken? He couldn't stand this feeling of being alone.

Suddenly, the large double doors behind him opened, "Avatar Aang, how is you mediation?"

He stood and turned to Eiji, "Well, it isn't going so great." he squinted his eyes against the light.

Eiji gave him a spectacle look, "How so? Can you not find inner peace?"

His eyebrows furrowed, "No, I can't…"

"Why is that, young Avatar?"

He fidgeted slightly, "It's just… my friends had concerns about me coming here, and now I…" he trailed off.

Patiently, Eiji pressed him to continue, "Yes, what is it?"

"I can't call on my past lives. I've always been able to, but now I can't."

Eiji was thoughtfully silent for a moment and then spoke, "You are letting your friend's concerns upset your chakra."

He fiddled with his air glider, "It's not just them… I'm worried about being here, as well."

"Ah, I see. Why is that, Avatar? This is your home, after all."

Aang shifted his weight from side to side and stared down at the floor, "This was my home, a long time ago."

Since his eyes were on the floor, Aang did not see how Eiji's eyes narrowed, "You are an airbender, Avatar Aang. This will always be your home."

"I'm not so sure."

Eiji took a deep breath, which went unnoticed by Aang, "Trust me, I am right. I know you have been away for some time, but we can help you. You are an Air Nomad who has lost sight of his heritage; we can help you."

Aang looked up in alarm, "I haven't forgotten what it means to be an Air Nomad."

"I'm afraid that through you travels, you have. But as I said, we can help you."

Aang looked distraught, but finally found something to say, "I was once told that… that I couldn't be like the other Air Nomads. The Avatar's path was different from a nomads."

Eiji frowned, "I don't believe that it true."

He shook his head, "No, I know it's true. I've learned that from experience. I can't be like the other Air Nomads, not if I want to fight off this great evil that's coming."

With a more prominent frown, Eiji backed out of the room and placed his hands on the doors, "You are wrong. You may be the Avatar, but you are also an Air Nomad. You must remember that." on his last word, he closed the doors, and the click of a lock echoed through the chamber.

Aang, feeling confused, simply stared at the door for a few minutes. Slowly, he approached the door and pulled on the handles. It did not open. Instead of panicking, he pushed against them, while knowing that they opened the other way. With more vigor, he pushed and pulled against the barrier, but it still stood still. He called out for Eiji, but did not gain a reply. He pressed his ear against the thick door to listen for footsteps, but heard nothing. With a frown of his own, he backed away from the door and did a quick airbender move. Without waiting, he dashed forward after the move, but his face smashed into the doors, which were still closed. Again, he performed the move, and saw that nothing happened. He backed away from the door, expanded his air glider, and jumped into the air. He landed back on his feet in a matter of seconds.

He let his glider clatter to the floor, "Eiji, what's going on? Why can't I airbend?" he looked around desperately for any sign of life.

With silence as his only reply, he started to move frantically about the room. As he did so, he did various moves. Air, earth, water, fire; he couldn't bend any of them. Still, he punched and kicked the air in vain. He felt as if the room was closing in around him; he couldn't breathe. His head was spinning, and his heart was trying to beat its way out of his chest. As he continued to strike out, sweat dripped from his body, and his breathing became frantic. After mere minutes, he collapsed to the floor in mental and physical exhaustion. He pounded his hand on the cold floor as he felt the tears forming in his eyes. Why did he feel so weak? Why couldn't he bend?

After sniffing loudly, he yelled out, "Roku, where are you! I need your help!"

His echoes faded away into silence. Into complete silence. The tears spilled from his eyes, and he knelled over, placing his forehead against the floor. His unanswered sobs bounced off the walls around him. On the outside, a cloud covered the sun, and all the glittering gems in the room seemed to disappear. The chamber was plunged into a murky darkness. With a great amount of effort, he dragged himself to his feet and made his way toward one of the pillars. After securing his glider onto his back, he wrapped his arms and legs around the column and started to make his way up. Each pull tore at his muscles, but he couldn't fathom why. It was a simple enough task. Once he finally reached the top of the pillar, he removed his glider from his back and stuck it out into the air. It tapped harmlessly against the glass of the skylight.

As he prepared for a more powerful attack, the sounds of gears moving filled the room. Black, metal plating emerged from the edges of the skylight; it was covering the glass. Quickly, he beat against the glass again and heard a soft crack. To his dismay, the metal barrier covered his target and the rest of the glass. Uselessly, he pounded against the metal. The only thing he obtained was a headache and a sore arm. As his shaky arm drew back for another hit, his hand released the glider without his consent. In a desperate attempt to catch it, he lost his hold and plummeted back down to the ground. A thud sounded as he made contact with the marble floor, and he groaned in pain. He rolled onto his back and vindictively glared up at the ceiling. His eyes burned again. Why couldn't he bend the elements? Why couldn't he reach the past Avatars? Why did he feel so weak? Was it the room?

For all the questions he had, he knew one thing. He was trapped.

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	23. The Ancient Island

Sorry I was gone for long. I hope you didn't forget about me!

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**xXx Chapter 23 xXx**

**xXx The Ancient Island xXx**

The sun kissed beach was far behind her, as was Ozai. A torrid mass of plant life surrounded her on all sides as she made her way through the island. As the sun inched higher and higher into the cloudless sky, the temperature rose. Due to the immense heat, she could guess that she was near the equator. It was very possible that she was near the Fire Nation, which didn't bode too well for her. It was a little nerve racking to have Ozai so close to his former home; so close to his ultimate goal. She suddenly stopped, looked up to the sky, and then back in the direction of the beach. It wouldn't take long for the sun to wake Ozai, and that was only if he wasn't already awake. She knew that he would search for her; however, she felt as if she had put a fair amount distance between them. It would take him a long time to find her, and she had no intention of making that task easy for him.

Determined to put even more distance between them, she started moving again. With the clattering, chirping, and stretching of the island's animals, she was able to move through the undergrowth without fear of being heard. The crunching of leaves and branches beneath her feet seemed to be a natural part of the forest, so it would not draw any attention. The forest was so thick that it was capable of easily concealing her. It was the perfect terrain to hid in and make an escape. Still, she moved with calculated caution and scanning eyes. She definitely didn't need to run through the forest and announce her presence to everyone. Not that she had seen any other people. While she had no desire for Ozai to find her, she wondered if she would come across anyone else.

From what she had seen so far, this island seemed uninhabited. There weren't any docks on the beach, and there weren't any pathways winding through the forest. The area around her also seemed to be undisturbed by human life. The forest ground was packed with trees, and it didn't look like any of them were cut down for lumber. There were no signs of hunting or gathering. No sounds of industrialization or human life. However, such an undisturbed world did not mean the absence of civilization. Her journeys through the world had proven that. Furthermore, the natural world did not tend to go hand in hand with the Fire Nation. While Zuko stopped the strip-mining of the land, many areas still held scars. If this place had ever been abused by the Fire Nation, it would still bare the marks. Since she thought that she was in the area of the Fire Nation, it now seemed unlikely that this place was inhabited by people. That thought notwithstanding, she knew that anything was possible. She wouldn't be surprised if she found an entire town nestled deep within this forest. If this place was untouched by the old Fire Nation, it could be a simple manner of it being uncharted.

It would make her journey easier if she was able to find other people; however, it would also make it easier for Ozai to locate her. If she could find some kind of town, she wouldn't stay there long. The most important thing was figuring out where she was and if she could easily leave. However, she doubted that she would be leaving any time soon. The mysterious island she and Ozai were on may have brought them here for a reason. If that was the case, she wasn't sure if this part of her journey would end well. The island, voice, and dagger all filled her with a sense of trepidation. She simply didn't trust anything that resulted from those three things. Despite her desire to find other people and to avoid Ozai, she stopped again and pulled out the intriguing dagger. The sun's beams trickled through the leaves of the trees and made the glass-like substance glitter.

The warmth of the sun, the sound of life, and smell of the forest almost seemed to fade as the lifeless weapon reverberated in her hand. It was light, and it moved easily in her hands. As she twirled it, the image of the blade seemed to morph into nothing more than a silver blur. When she stopped twirling it, the blurriness remained longer than it should have. The crystalline dagger shifted in and out of focus. She blinked in order to drive off the disconcerting allusion. The blurriness had vanished, but a new property suddenly came to the surface. While it was light only moments ago, the weight of the blade felt as if it was increasing with each passing second, and it forced her grip it with both hands. The same haunting and eerie feeling as before washed over her. Her hold tightened as the blade continued to glisten ominously.

Those dark feelings continued to build until it started to bring up dangerous thoughts. Her mind traveled back to Ozai. She pushed the thought away, but it only came back with more vigor. She was now thinking about the consequences of leaving Ozai behind, which she had not thought of before. What would happen when he finally caught up with her? He had made it clear that she was not to run away from him… It was almost as if the dagger could locate her darkest, most irrational fears and drag them to the surface. She narrowed her eyes at the dagger. How could it affect her in such a way? As her thoughts continued to churn, panic set in and she placed the dagger back at her side. She could not look away from the dagger, and she didn't want to see it. Quickly, she moved the cursed knife to her back. She desperately wished that the saying "out of sight, out of mind" was true, but she knew it was not.

She shook her head and forced Ozai out of her mind. It didn't matter if he caught up with her. In regards to the infuriating man she had left to bake in the sun, she had already made up mind. He was no longer going to be a controlling aspect of her life. There was no reason that he should even be in it. She gave a sad sigh and rubbed the temples of her head. Without any kind of warning, unwanted memories came rushing to the front of her mind. The times he had saved her, held her, and kissed her. She held her face in her hands, even though no one was around to see her emotional and personal dilemma. Then there was everything else; fighting with her, Sokka, and Suki; keeping her in dark… Why did he have to play such horrid games with her? As if traveling with someone like him wasn't enough of a challenge. She shook her head again. None of that mattered since she wasn't going to give him control over her live again.

A shaky breath rattled past her lips.

The rustling of leaves reached her ears.

She spun on the spot, toward the source of the noise. A collage of tree trunks, twisted vines, and branches greeted her straining eyes. Nothing moved, and she did not hear the sound again. Was it just an animal? Was the dagger still making her feel paranoid? With a shake of her head, she closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. She just had to keep moving. No one was fallowing her. Ozai wasn't following her. If he had found her, he wouldn't waste time stalking her. While repeating those mantras in her head, she continued on her way.

**xXx Jin xXx**

"I'm sorry, sir, but I don't understand." Jin stood like the perfect soldier; stiff and tall.

The captain of the submarine took the helm and did not look back at Jin, "My order is to leave for the Fire Nation." His voice was crisp and clear.

Jin's hand twitched slightly, "But the Fire Lord…"

He was cut off by the captain, "My orders come directly from Fire Lord Ozai."

He tried to keep the sound of respect in his voice, "He ordered you to leave him and waterbending girl behind?"

There was a frustrated sigh, and then the captain turned to face Jin, with his hands held firmly behind his back, "Before he departed with the girl, he ordered me to carry on without him if they had not returned by sundown. Tell me, soldier, has the sun not set?"

He had not seen the surface all day, but he knew that it was late in the evening, "I apologize, Captain. I was out of line." While hiding his scowl, he bowed at the hip.

When he rose, the captain had turned back around, "I do not like the idea of leaving the Fire Lord behind, but I have my orders."

Off to the side, another soldier spoke up, "Sir, what is our mission in the Fire Nation?"

The captain was silent for a moment, "To gather more supporters and wait."

The soldier continued, "Where in the Fire Nation, Captain?"

His words were strong, but tinged with concern, "The Capital City. The Capital City Prison."

Silence stretch across the cabin.

After a few anxious glances, Jin finally asked, "To the Capital, sir?"

"That is correct." His voice turned stony.

"May I ask how, sir?"

The captain tapped an index finger against the panel in front of him, "The Fire Lord's son has a weak security system within this time of peace. We should be able to slip in undetected."

Jin knew Fire Lord Zuko's defenses weren't as strenuous as his father's had been, but he couldn't imagine it being that simple; however, he knew better than to question the captain. It would get him killed. Then again, trying to sneak into Capital City could also get him killed. Most of the men on this ship were wanted in the Fire Nation for escaping imprisonment. Himself included. He knew this journey of his life would be dangerous, but this was suicidal.

Without questioning the captain, he did the next best thing, "What is the plan of action, sir?"

Without looking at any of his crew, he explained the event, "We will go to one of the smaller islands and switch out this submarine for a small boat. From there, we will travel under the protection of night to the Capital. We won't go in through the entrance. We will dock a few miles away and make our way to the city from there. Someone will stay behind and take the boat back to the first island."

No one responded as silence draped over the room again. It was a shady plan, and everyone seemed to know it. Even the captain. Still, no one spoke their concerns. Not when the plan came directly from Ozai. All they could do was bare through it. Jin felt that it was even more complicated for him. He didn't have any real loyalty to the former Fire Lord. And he was supposed to do something so reckless? He shook that thought away. His loyalty to his family and the current state of the world was stronger than the devotion of the others. He could make it through this seemingly impossible situation.

The captain's voice brought him out of his thoughts, "Everyone back to your stations, we are setting out now."

Silence settled in again as the soldiers left the cabin.

**xXx Eiji xXx**

Eiji bowed low, on his hands and knees, with his nose touching the cold floor. He rose slowly, while remaining in a kneeling position, and gazed lovingly upon a stone representation of the Lion Turtle. Numerous candles were placed around the statue, and their glow was the only light in the room. It cast odd rays of light across the effigy, which made the lighted portions glow in the darkness of the chamber. Around the edges of the room, smoke swirled away from burning incenses; however, the room full smoke did not bother the devout monk. He focused all of his energy and attention on the omnipotent spirit of the Lion Turtle. His belief, faith and guider. The one that had sent him to the Avatar. The one that was going to lead his people to salvation. The one that did not abandon him.

For years, he and the remainder of his people had waited in the darkness. Unable to leave the darkness. It had not been a figurative darkness, but a physical realm of complete emptiness. He did not know exactly how they had gotten there. He didn't remember any of the finite details of their stay there. The loneness, bitterness, and fear were all that he could remember. The same was true for everyone else. That place was horrid, and it made his skin crawl to think of it; however, they all remember the day that it ended. There was no bright light, but there was a voice. It was a mystical voice that had identified itself as the Lion Turtle. As their savior.

They awoke in their temple to find that the war had ended. Joy filled them as they learned of the peace that had washed over the world. With reserved excitement, they prepared to find the Avatar. They wanted to embrace him and share their culture with the rest of the world. Something the Air Nomads had never really been able to do; however, the voice of the Lion Turtle had stopped them. It told them that there was a danger and they needed to prepare. It hurt them deeply to remain hidden from the rest of the world, but they could not deny to benevolent entity that had saved them from he darkness. As the Lion Turtle wished, they stayed at the temple and prepared for three years. The majority of their time was spent building the chamber that now held the Avatar.

Once that was finished, they were sent to collect the Avatar. That was when the lying began. He did not want to deceive the Avatar, nor did his companions; however, they had absolute faith in the Lion Turtle. But not everything had been a lie. They were decedents of Air Nomads that fled their temples, and the Earth Kingdom did have a small role to play in their parent's protection and survival. Not wanting to draw attention to the people of the Earth Kingdom, the monks did not rely heavily on their assistance. In disguise, they traveled through the mainland and tried to endure their travails. They had traveled in such a manner for nearly ten years. He knew of some of their travels because he lived through it, while he was still just a child. Then one day, when he barely six years old, everything had changed.

**xXx Flashback xXx**

A very young Eiji, with solemn eyes, looked up a tall man who had a shaved head and long beard. The man, his father, gave him an equally solemn gaze; however, he did manage a feeble and wary smile. It was the kind of smile that promised hope when there was none in sight. It was the only smile he knew, and he was happy to see it. He was even happier that they didn't have to hide as much as they normally would. The Air Nomads stood in an empty plain that was illuminated by the evening sun. They were deep in the uninhibited wilderness of the Earth Kingdom. A place where the Fire Nation soldiers did not venture; there were no villages to seize out here. For now, they were safe from the cruel hand of the Fire Nation.

"Father, how long do we have to travel like this?"

While still just a child, Eiji understood why they had to constantly run and hide, but he didn't think that it would be that way forever. His father told him that it wouldn't last forever. It would all be a matter of time before the Avatar made his appearance. A matter of time before peace was restored. Without question, he believed his father and the other elders, as did the rest of the children. It was either that, or be forced to believe in nothing.

They continued to endure while hoping for something better.

Hope, however, was ripped from them that day. A sudden and violent change consumed the area around them. The sky overhead started to churn with black and foreboding clouds, and the temperature instantly dropped. A thick, dense fog rolled around their feet until it obstructed their vision. Panic did not set in then; everyone simply looked around in curiosity. If anyone thought anything evil was present, they did not let it show. Then it echoed through the air, like a spectral sound of a gong. It was a low and vibrating groan that sent shivers up Eiji's spine. With the panic finally setting in, Eiji gave a frantic look to his father, who he could barely see through the fog.

His father's face, naturally wrinkled and worn from a hard life, had a new level of wariness sketched upon it. Through the fog, his boney hand reached out and was then placed on Eiji's shoulder. Eiji's small hands clasped over his father's as shuffling sounds bounced all around them. No one spoke, and on one moved. Some unknown force compelled everyone to wait. Eiji couldn't explain it, but that was what it had felt like. He had no idea why they were waiting, or what they were waiting for.

Then, the answer finally came in the form of a distraught scream. It all seemed to happen in slow motion. One of the elder monks had his feet swept out from under him, which caused the distraught scream. That sudden burst of movement and sound acted as a wakeup call for the other monks. A monk to his right performed an airbending move that cleared the area of some the fog. His father, along with the rest of the older monks, prepared for another attack. Eiji hid behind the leg of his father, with one hand raised and ready to deliver an airbending attack.

Eiji had been unable to do anything when the attack finally came.

Black wisps, which moved as quickly and unpredictably as a serpent, darted out of the fog and claimed another elder monk. Without hesitation, the monks sent torrents of air after their usurped brother. Another path was cleared in the fog, but it yielded nothing. The monk and the black wisp had simply vanished. That monk's son stood in a silent horror. He looked blankly at the spot where his father had stood. Eiji felt pity for him, and clung tighter to the fabric of his father's pants. A few tedious moment of silence passed and then another wisp shot out of the fog. They did not wait for it to claim another; blades of wind rushed toward the black enigma. As if sensing the attack, the opaque tendril jolted out of the way and snatched another. As that monk was swallowed by the inhuman fog, a scream bounced back to their ears.

The older monks shared a glance of understanding and then everything was put into motion. Eiji's father scooped him up and kept him securely held under his arm as him and the other monks ran toward the fog. A continuous stream of air parted the mist as more black wisps came into view. His father was taking the lead, and from Eiji's current position, he could not see if others were being stolen by the wisps. Despite that, he heard thumps and more screams. As he wondered about those noises, he suddenly found himself being hurled forward. His body skidded across the dirt covered ground. After coming to a stop, he pushed himself up and spat out the dirt that had been forced into his mouth. Once he looked around him, he realized that he was alone.

With shaky legs, he rose and called for his father. There was no response. As tears spilled out of his eyes, he forced himself to move through the fog. His weak airbending barely made a dent in the vapor, but he pressed on; however, his solitary journey did not last long. Slowly, the fog began to clear. The minutes passed as he wandered around the vacant clearing. Then something finally caught his attention. He rushed over to a dark clump on the ground and knelled before it. His friend rose and gave a raspy cough. The young monk looked around in a complete daze.

"Eiji, what happened?"

He had no answer for his friend. Soon, other monks found their way to them. They all had one thing in common; they were all young. None of the master Airbenders were left. Just like his friend, everyone had questions, but no one could offer any answers. There were whispers of the Fire Nation, but the manner of the attack didn't fit. Before they could come up with any other possible answers, sleepiness overtook them all. For some reason, they all found themselves drifting off into an unwanted sleep.

**xXx End of Flashback xXx**

When they awoke, they were in that godforsaken land of darkness. There, time passed slowly, and they barely aged. To this day, he knew little about that place. Even the Lion Turtle knew little; however, it did tell them that it was part of the evil that was coming. With that knowledge, they swore to help the Lion Turtle in any way they could. And that included they imprisonment of the Avatar. The Lion Turtle had told him that while the Avatar was strong, he needed to be stronger. To do that, he needed to connect with his own culture. By force if necessary.

Once more, he bowed to the effigy of the Lion Turtle.

**xXx Ozai xXx**

He stirred from his sleep and breathed in deeply; the musky smell of stone and iron filled the air. As he opened his eyes, he frowned at seeing the iron bars that were in front of him. He moved his arms only to find that they were extremely heavy. With an excusatory glare, he saw that both of his wrists were shackled. Thick chains were coiled on the ground beside him and were attached to the wall above his head. As he gave an irritated groan, he rose from the floor and stretched his arms. The shackles would not be a problem. Without any effort at all, he summoned fire to both of his hands and brought the flames down onto the chains. He jerked the chains forward in an attempt to separate the melted links, but his actions were met with failure. As the smoke cleared from the chains, he realized that the fire had not affected it in any way. He scowled down his restraints and prepared to repeat the process with even more power.

"That won't work," came a strong voice from the other side of the bars, "the chains and cuffs are fireproof."

Ozai pulled himself to full height as he narrowed his eyes at the barely visible stranger, "Is that so? That is quite an impressive feat. How did you manage it?" While he was a bit curious about it, he let his voice portray an air indifference and ill contempt.

The man lit a torch to the side, which revealed his physical characteristics. An elaborate headdress sat on his head, and half of his face was painted in red and white warrior paint. He also had a short bead, which was held by a gold ringlet at his chin. Considering the time, he was attire was very archaic and tribal. The man's face, while wrinkled, was strong.

He steeped closer, "Do you know where you are, Firebender? How you came to be here?"

Ozai remained silent as he continued to glare at the man.

"What of your partner? There were foot prints that went away from you. Where is your friend?"

Katara. Of course she wandered off by herself. He shook his head at the man, "Obviously, the person isn't much of friend if I was left alone."

That did not phase the man, "Friend or not, someone was with you. We will find this other person." The man tried to make it sound like a threat.

He did not break eye contact with the man before him, "It is of no concern to me."

The man was silent for a moment, "No, I suppose it is not. Not for the former and tyrannical Fire Lord." He spoke as if he had solved a great mystery.

"Am I supposed to be surprised that you know of me? Any child, regardless of nationality, could recognize me."

"That may be, but I have a clear advantage. I know who you are, but you do not know who I am, where you are, or the whereabouts of your companion." With that, the man turned and disappeared around a corner.

Ozai gave another glare to his bindings… how he loathed being imprisoned.

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**Bwahaha, the plot thickens!**

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	24. The Deceiver

**xXx Chapter 24 xXx**

**xXx The Deceiver xXx**

The past few days had been rather eventful. Since the day she left the sun kissed beach, the natives of the island had been pursuing and attacking her. They were Firebenders, but they didn't seem to be of the Fire Nation. Their firebending was on another level. The attacks didn't focus of pure strength and power, like Ozai's did. When she had first been attacked, she was almost too stunned to respond. The eloquence and speed of every fireball was unlike any attack from a Fire Nation soldier; however, it was a style that she had seen before. Their manner of attack mirrored that of Iroh, Zuko, and Aang. As her trek through the forest continued, she realized one very important thing; Zuko had not always fought like that.

After making sure her surroundings were secure, she paused to think. When had Zuko's style of fighting changed? After a few moments of thought it came to her; it changed when he was trying to teach Aang. When Zuko realized he couldn't channel his firebending through anger, he and Aang went looking for answers. When they came back, Aang told them a little of what happened, but he had been very vague. As the years passed, Aang mentioned an island that had no name, and that Iroh had also been there. He wouldn't tell her anymore; only that he had promised the people that he wouldn't speak of their secretes.

She had a strong feeling that the three were connected to this island and its people. Perhaps the attacks would end if she told them that she was friends with the Avatar. Since the attacks began, she had tried telling them that she meant no harm, but if fell on deaf ears. For some reason, they thought she was a threat. She momentarily dragged herself out her head long enough to continue walking. Maybe Ozai had something to do with it? She hadn't seen him since she left him alone on the beach.

She held her head high. If Ozai had tricked the natives into chasing her, then she silently dared the former Fire Lord to do his worst. This separation from him was just what she needed. Despite the native's advanced techniques, she fought them off with dignity. She was fighting as she did during the war. She felt as though she was prepared for anything Ozai could throw at her. She felt like herself.

A sudden impulse came over her, and she ducked and rolled away. A long stream of fire crackled over her head as she tumbled across the forest ground. After coming to a stop, she rose and immediately created a wall of water in front of her. A fireball hit it with tremendous force, but after adding more water, the flames died to steam. She let the water fall, but remained in a defensive stance. She searched the area for her attackers, but they were hidden within the trees.

Without warning, she dove to the side and took cover behind a tree. Initially, she had been worried that the native's actions would catch the forest on fire, but they had astonishing power over the flames. Since she had been successful in dodging their attacks, the flames would crash behind her; however, they died down quickly and would only leave behind tiny scorch marks. Aang could put out flames, but it was with the use of his airbending. She had never seen a Firebender put out a wild flame, not even Zuko. She paused in thought. Should she continue fighting, or should she try reasoning again? Perhaps her connection with Aang could get her somewhere.

She stayed pressed against the tree, but ready to spring into action, "Please, I've told you that I don't want to fight! I mean you no harm—I'm friends with the Avatar!"

Low mummers drifted to her ears, but she couldn't make out any of it. A moment of silence stretched across the forest, but it was soon broken by the sounds of someone walking across the undergrowth.

A rather high and self-assured voice called out: "If that is so, we do not wish to… fight you. Come with us."

There was something about his voice that she didn't like, but they did stop shooting fireballs at her, which was more than she could say for the old Fire Nation soldiers. She tapped the bark of the tree in taught. Even if they turned on her, she believed that she could get away. She shook her head—they may not turn on her. Being a Firebender didn't mean being a liar and a traitor. Nevertheless, she stepped out from behind the tree with caution, and her eyes widened in surprise. It wasn't one person that had stepped out into the clearing, but several. They could certainly travel through the woods more smoothly than the average Fire Nation soldier.

The same one spoke again "I am Ham Ghao, please, come with us." He gestured to the forest in front of them.

**xXx Ozai xXx**

He clenched and unclenched his fists in frustration. His wrists were blistered, red, and bloody from trying to pull the chains out of the previously inflamed wall. He believed that if he could gather enough strength and deliver a powerful enough attack, that the wall might break. The stone of his cell was only thick enough to hold the chains in place. It would crumble under enough pressure. After all, this place was ancient and was falling apart. As he glared at the bindings around his wrists, footsteps approached his tiny cell. The man who first spoke to him—the Sun Warrior Chief—peered into the cell.

"Do you want to talk about the girl yet?"

Ozai remained silent.

He pressed on, "Why is the former Fire Lord traveling with a Waterbender?"

Again, he said nothing.

"… A Waterbender that is friends with the Avatar. That seems like an odd companion choice."

He scowled. How did he know so much about the girl?

As if guessing his thoughts, the Chief continued, "The girl told my men of her relationship with the Avatar as they were pursuing her. She's here now, though not locked up like you... You have been unwilling to answer our questions, but perhaps the girl will be more cooperative."

He could feel flames trying to form in the palm of his hands, but he pushed to urge away, "Question the girl all you like; the only thing she will be able to give you are speculations. She knows nothing. "

The Chief gave a wary smile, "We shall see." With that, he walked away.

Ozai rose from the floor and sent a fireball to the other side of his cell. That damn girl—she was going to ruin everything. She had the dagger. That dagger was old, as old as the people of this island. They could know something about it. He paced across the floor of his cell as he fought the urge to release another fireball. He needed to escape this cage and get to the damn Waterbender before she caused too much damage. All his planning would go to waste if she couldn't keep her mouth shut.

He ran a hand through his hair and inhaled deeply. It was time to burn this place to the ground.

**xXx Katara xXx**

Katara sat in front of the Sun Warrior Chief, and his men sat in a circle around them. So far, they had been very hospitable; they had given her food and allowed her to clean herself up.

"So, Miss Katara, why are you with the former Fire Lord if you are an ally of the Avatar?" The Chief spoke calmly, trying not to intimidate her.

She felt a bit nervous about telling the story, "He escaped from his prison in the Fire Nation," she left out how she had dropped the keys to his cell, "and he forced me to leave the island with him… under the threat of killing my brother if I didn't come. I went with him because I wanted to find my brother myself and because I needed to know what he was planning. I thought I could keep things under control until I was able to contact Aang or Fire Lord Zuko." She frowned at hearing how underdeveloped her plan had been. Perhaps she had just been too upset at the time to think clearly.

The chief pondered over her words for a moment, "You were not able to contact them?"

She shook her head, "I found my brother and his girlfriend, and I sent them to get Aang and Zuko. I haven't heard from them since. For a long time, we stayed on the mainland, so I was hopeful about being found again. But then we went out to sea and…" she clutched the fabric of her pants. Should she tell them about the weird island and the dagger?

The chief noticed her hesitation, "What is the matter? Is there something else?"

Slightly, she nodded her head, "Yes, but…"

"Whatever the problem is, I'm sure we can help. Our ancestors have seen and dealt with many things."

"I'm not sure who I can trust with this, but if you answer my questions, I might tell you."

Those in the circle exchanged curious glances, but the chief simply nodded his head, "Ask any questions you have."

"Fire Lord Zuko trained Aang in firebending, but they had to… go on a journey in order to unlock their true powers. Were you the people that taught them firebending?"

Murmurs spread though the circle, but the chief held up his hand and silence fell over them, "They told you of us?" He wore a slight grimace.

"No, they said that they had made a promise not reveal any secretes, but they did say that they were taught by powerful firebenders."

The chief sighed, "We did not teach them, but they did learn their techniques here. Now tell me, child, what is troubling you?"

Deciding that she could trust them, she told them of the odd island, the voices, and the dagger. Once she finished explaining, she pulled the dagger out of her waistband and held it in front of her.

It was then that she noticed the pensive expression on the chief's face. The circle of natives around her wore the same expression. Puzzled, she lowered the dagger and looked expectantly at the chief.

"And all of this was Ozai's plan?" His voice was hushed.

"I think so… why? What does it mean? What is this dagger?" Hastily, she placed it on the floor in front of her.

The chief turned to the man who had identified himself a Ham Ghao, "You know what to do."

Tensely, the man nodded and rose to leave the room, with the rest of the circle following him.

The chief turned his attention back to Katara, "It seems odd that you would wind up here, surrounded by people that know the mystery of the island."

Her eyes widened, "You know?"

He nodded, "Yes, but I must tell you quickly, we can't afford to lose any more time. That island was not the Lion Turtle—rather, its polar opposite. One represents harmony and balance, the other chaos and disorder. The Avatar spoke to the true Lion Turtle three years ago, but you have found The Deceiver. I suspect that is using Ozai to put the world back into a state of turmoil."

She glanced down at the dagger, "It gave me this dagger… So it can't be anything good, can it?"

He eyed the dagger warily, "I must admit, I know nothing of this dagger. I only recognize its connection to The Deceiver because of the markings in the hilt. I suggest you handle it with care."

She blinked in surprise, "You want me to keep it?" She looked at the markings on the dagger. To her, it only seemed to be decorated with random swirls and dots.

He nodded apologetically, "It may have been given to you by The Deceiver, but it must be with you for a reason. When dealing with such ancient beings, everything has a reason. Be it good or bad. You should guard it with your life. Perhaps it would be better it the Avatar were to guard it. Above all, it must not fall into the wrong hands."

"Like Ozai. Wait, is he still on the island?" She couldn't believe that she forgotten to ask that.

"Fear not. We have him locked away, in a room that will not melt at fire's touch."

She sighed in relief and placed the dagger back in her waistband.

The chief rose and gestured for her to do the same, "We must go. You have a long journey ahead of you."

She followed him out of the room, "I do?"

They continued down a corridor, "The Deceiver… it destroyed a large number of my people long ago, and I'm sure that it has brought destruction to many others. There is a chamber underneath this city that tells how the survivors were able to drive it away. I would tell you if I could, but I don't know how they warded him off. The chamber is protected by an ancient enchantment; it will only open if its knowledge is needed. Now that The Deceiver has come out of the shadows, perhaps it will open."

She gave him a sad look, "It killed your people?" How could he talk about it so calmly?

"That was a long time ago, and our people only mourn those who died in vain. Like I said, those who survived were able to drive it away." He gave her a stern look as they continued walking, "If The Deceiver is not stopped, then many more people will die. It will make the Hundred Year's War look like a simple quarrel."

Instead of letting fear seep in, she only nodded and took a calming breath, "After I get done in the chamber, I'll need to get to Aang. He should be in the Fire Nation. Can you get a message to him?" She asked, having no way of way of knowing that Aang was at an Air Temple.

They passed through a large set of double doors as the chief nodded in consent, "We will send him a message explaining what has happened. It would be best if he came for you on his bison. It would be much quicker than traveling by ship. With any luck, he should be here by the time you are done."

The evening sun greeted them as they descended a flight of stone stairs. The pyramid structure of the building they were in had stairs trailing along all of it sides. The set of stairs adjacent to them led to a section of houses and shops, which were all constructed in a Fire Nation design. Their path, however, led to the edge of the forest. They were barely several steps away from the entrance door when an explosion rattled through the air. A pillar of smoke came from the lower back side of the temple. She moved to the edge of the steps and narrowed her eyes, but couldn't make anything out.

Before she could question the Sun Chief, a frightened man burst out of the entrance doors and spoke to the chief, "Sir, what are your orders?"

She glanced back at the Sun Chief, who seemed to know exactly what was going on, "Stop him—by any means. I must get Katara to the chamber doors. Do not let him follow us."

He turned away from the man, as if finished, but then hastily added, "Tell Ham Ghao to make haste."

The man disappeared back behind the doors with a look of determination and the chief hastily gestured for Katara to follow him. As they ran down the steps, taking them two at a time, Katara questioned the chief, "What was over there?" She wanted to know what Ham Ghao had to do, but thought the explosion was more important.

He answered as they neared the base of the steps, "That was where our jail cells were held."

As they touched down on the green grass, she stopped in her tracks, "Then that was Ozai? We should go help your men. Your warriors are strong, but Ozai has overwhelming power."

The chief shook his head, "My men can hold him off. I need to get you to the underground chamber while we still have time."

She ignored his protests and launched one of her own, "No, I'm not going to run away from him again. I'm not going to leave someone else to deal with my mistake. I can fight him."

"That is not the issue. The doors to the chamber can only be opened during the day, when the sun is out."

She glared angrily at the smoke in the distance but gave into the chief's pleas, "I thought you said that the door to the chamber would open when its knowledge was needed?"

"It has three criteria."

She gave him an exasperated look, "And what's the third?"

"It can only be opened by a firebender. Come, we must hurry." To emphasis the rush, he started moving ahead without her.

Without any further objections or questions, Katara followed the chief into the forest. They followed the remnants of a long forgotten trail that zigzagged between the trees. As they continued to push forward, the sounds of a battle echoed from the temple. She glanced behind her, but the trees hid the battle scene from her. Just as she looked back to the path in front of her, the chief stopped short, and she had to skid to a stop to avoid hitting him. The path had led them to a clearing, and in front of them stood… nothing of particular interest. They had reached a dead-end. The only thing she could see was the face of a small mountain that was covered with vines and ivy.

Before she could ask why they had stopped, the chief sent out of ball of fire that burned the thick layer of vines and ivy. Once all the burnt greenery had fallen away, an elaborate door appeared. The light from the setting sun lit up the door so that it almost appeared to have a majestic glow. The splendor of the door was overshadowed by the approaching sounds of battle. She glanced back behind her again, worried that the chief's men couldn't handle Ozai.

"Katara, please stand back." The chief took a fighting stance, but he had himself aimed at the door and not at the battle behind them.

As she took a few steps back, the chief did a series of complex firebending moves, which sent pellets of fire to little niches on the door. The outer rim was now aglow with fire, but the process was not yet complete. One final blow from the chief lit up a larger crevice in the center. A rumbling, which overpowered the noise of the battle, shook the ground. The door trembled and made a deafening grinding noise as it slowly slid open.

While it was still in the process of opening, the chief ushered Katara to the entrance, "You must go now. Put as much distance between yourself and this place as you can. Regardless of what you hear, do not turn back. There are bigger things at stake than the lives of me and my men. We should be able to hold him off until the sunlight has completely fallen off of the door, then and only then will it close." He pulled out a torch and lit it.

She wanted to protest, but she could see the grave sincerity in the chief's dark eyes, "Alright, but I'll come back to fight once I'm done."

The chief gave a grim smile, "You may be down there for longer than you think. There are supposed to be traps laid out for intruders. A safety net for if the enchantment on the door ever wore off. On top of that, I'm not sure how easy it will be to get to the chamber itself. It may lie deep in the bowels of this mountain. Again, for safety reasons. The battle may be over by time you emerge." He ended the conversation by handing her the torch and turning to face the approaching battle.

A knot formed in her stomach, "Fine. Then I guess it's up to you."

After receiving a determined nod from the chief, she turned on her heals and descended into the darkness.

**xXx Ozai xXx**

Harsh sunlight pierced through the cloud of smoke and debris that swirled in front of him. Rubble continued to fall away from what had once been the wall of his cell. He glared down at his shackles, then, with a violent jerk, he wrenched his hand back and the chains rattled against the stone floor. He pulled the chain to its end and saw that parts of the stone wall still clung to the base of the chain. The chains themselves were heavy, and it didn't help that it retained fragments of the wall. As he was pondering over how to rid himself of the metal weights, shouts reached his ears. His malice played on his smile. One of the natives was bound to have the keys to his shackles. But which one?

He stepped out of the opaque cell and was met with bright light and a view of the island forest. He flexed his hands. He would just have to kill them all if he wanted to find the keys.

A crackling sound pierced his ears and he calmly moved to the side. The small fireball, which had been aimed at his head, whizzed past him and hit the ground with a crash. The young native that had delivered the attack drew back his clenched fist and then trusted it forward, sending out another fireball. Ozai suppressed a laugh at seeing the young native's inexperience and sent out a powerful strike of his own. The two masses of fire hurtled toward one another and clashed with a crackling explosion. Ozai's fireball overpowered the native's and continued on its path with surmounting speed. The native, caught off guard by the power of his opponent's fire, had no time to react. The burning ball hit him in the chest and sent him reeling back until he fell unceremoniously to the ground.

Fear and pain shone in the young man's eyes, and Ozai couldn't suppress the humorless laugh that escaped from his lips. The fear in the native's eyes only increased and he tried to back away, but the pain in his chest kept him where he was. Ozai drew his hand back, ready to remove the light from the boy's eyes, but a voice rang through the air.

"Leave the young boy alone!"

While still posed to strike, Ozai turned to see several men who had just rounded the corner of the temple. They were not young, like the one behind him. The ones in front of him were warriors, and they all appeared ready to fight.

They told him to step away from the boy and spare him, but he didn't feel like sparing anyone today, "Why would I be so generous? The boy attacked me. By doing so, he willingly put himself in harm's way," he let his voice turn cold, "he should not have attacked if he was not prepared to die."

The warriors seemed ready to attack at any moment, "He's just a boy. He didn't know any better," he gave a discontented glance to the boy, "even though he was told to stay behind."

Ozai scoffed, "I have never considered youth and ignorance to be an excuse," he gave a malevolent smile, "I have _never _excused such insolence, and I'm not going to start now."

He spun around on the spot, and after a powerful jab, a stream of fire went flying toward to boy's head. The warriors behind Ozai reacted quickly; a ball of fire crashed into the one that Ozai sent out and the flames veered off course. The ground beside the boy burst into flames and he quickly scrambled away. With a horizontal swing of his arm, Ozai sent out a torrent of fire that scorched the feet of the closest warriors. From behind the curtain of flames, voices rang out.

"Get the boy to safety and make sure he stays there!"

A 'yes, sir' answered the command, and then a body leapt across the barrier of flames. Ozai saw that the flames bit at his unadorned legs, but when he hit the ground, he pushed forward. He scowled, realizing that he was going after the injured boy. That simply wouldn't do. He wasn't going to leave a single one of these soft-hearted firebenders alive. He started after the man, but instead of throwing a fireball at him, he gripped the chain dangling from his wrist and hurled it toward the running man. The chain easily found its target and wrapped itself around the man's torso and neck. A sickening crunching noise conquered the sound of the crackling flames as the stone-encased chain connected with the man's skull.

The man staggered, but before he could fall, Ozai jerked on the chain. After a few brief moments in the air, the man landed with a thud at Ozai's feet. Groggily, the man glared up at him with a weak sense of defiance. Ozai frowned in annoyance—he did not see any fear in his eyes. He desired to fix such impudence, but the man before him was not his only opponent. Just as the other warriors made their way across the fire, Ozai raised his hand and sent a sphere of fire to his victim's face. A weak scream, muffled by the flames, was the last thing the other warriors heard from their fallen comrade.

The leader of the group nodded to the rest of the men, and they in turn formed a blockade at the corner of the temple. He glanced at the boy and then back to the men. Their strategy seemed odd. They weren't protecting the boy. Before he could give anymore thought the men sent a row of fireballs in his direction. Without much effort, he leapt back, and the fireballs crashed into the ground in front of him. He was not impressed. A child could have dodged that. He looked past the flames to the men, and then back to the flames. After a moment of thought, he saw it. The flames were yet another barrier that separated him from the other side of the temple. What was on the other side that they didn't want him to see?

After gathering his strength, he rushed toward the wall of fire and jumped across it. The flames licked at his boots and pants, but he made it across. He hit the ground with a role, and when the role ended, he thrust both of his arms forward and sent out cascades of fire. The intensity of the flames caused some to dive to the side and others to leap back. Ozai rose from his crouching position and made his way through the flames, no longer considering the warriors a threat. He still wanted to see their lives snuffed out, but he wanted to know what they were hiding.

Ozai's attack seemed to only faze them, for they were closing in on him again. He paused when he reached the corner of the temple and spotted an opening in the tress before him. It was the only thing that stood out, and if they had been guarding the temple, they would be converging to the base of the stairs; however, they reassembled to better guard the opening. He smirked at how easily he could read their moves. It looked as if his destination was the forest trail.

He wondered what they could be trying to hide. How hard would they be willing to fight in order to keep him from finding out? So far, he wasn't impressed. Perhaps if he clearly made for the opening, they would then retaliate accordingly. Intentionally, he let his gaze linger on the narrow opening of the forest longer than would be normal. He then let his eyes flicker back to the warrior who seemed to be leading the group. The warrior's eyes narrowed. A ghost of a smirk graced Ozai's features as the warrior fell for the bait.

Suddenly, yet not surprising to Ozai, the leader unleashed a flurry of flames. One flaming ball came hurtling toward him, but Ozai simply stepped aside; however, three more quickly followed it. The first of the three whizzed past his head, the heat singing his hair slightly. He scoffed in annoyance as he ducked down to avoid the second one and rolled to the right to evade the third. Out of the corner of his eye, the warriors the right, the ones closest to him, followed their leader's example. A stream of fire came from two men, and while still on the ground, Ozai sent forth his own stream of fire, creating a barrier. The first stream died against his wall of flames, but it was quickly bombarded with another assault. His wall rippled and flames erupted from every angle.

Grimacing, he stood and leapt away from the fire, but as soon as he was at a safe distance, fire came from the left and the front. There was a narrow opening of fire-free space between the two attacks and he immediately dove for it. The two attacks collided behind him and gave off a heated explosion that propelled him further than he intended to go. He regained his footing only to find a blade coming down on him. Without any hesitation, his hand shot forward and gripped the wrist of the man wielding the blade. Undaunted by his failed attack, the warrior's free hand acquired a ball of fire. Due to the close proximity, the warrior trusted his hand forward to deliver a punch cloaked in fire. With just inches to spare, Ozai brought up his knee and jabbed it into the man's abdomen. The warrior let out a staggered breath and doubled over slightly. He had stopped in his attack.

Ozai cast the man's arm away with so much force that he lost his grip on the sword. As the blade sunk into the ground, Ozai extended his arm and then smashed his hand against the man's neck. He fell, his head hitting the ground hard. Ozai had no time to speculate on the damage he had caused because another blade brushed the length of his arm, tearing the cloth—he had moved quickly enough to avoid being cut himself. Without even taking in the face of the man before him, Ozai seized the handle of the sword with one hand and brought his other hand down on the warrior's wrist. There was a cracking sound and the man's hold on the sword was relinquished. Ozai tightened his grip on the handle and turned the blade against its owner. In one swift motion, the blade slid across his throat and blood erupted from the wound like angry fire.

Without sparing the dead man another glance, Ozai spun on the spot and threw the blade, along with a stream of fire, at the next closest opponent. The warrior, who had been charging at Ozai with a flurry of flames around him, came to a staggering halt as the blade found its mark. Buried between his shoulder and neck, the warrior barely had time to notice the blade before the fire hit him. He fell back with cry, but Ozai knew that had not been enough to kill him. Finishing him off would have to wait since two more warriors decided that two against one would serve them better. The flames that erupted from both of the men caused Ozai to fall back and curse under his breath.

The fire surging around him was burning with a chocking intensity. His eyes stung as the flames danced in front of his eyes in a dizzying fashion and his chest tightened as he breathed in the smoldering air. A dull rumble came from somewhere in the distance, but couldn't focus on that right now. He shook his head in order to drive out the haziness and began his search for the two warriors. As he scanned the flames, they started to dye down. Slowly at first, but then two openings suddenly appeared several feet away from each other. Immediately after the flame's decent, the warriors rushed through them, the flames reappearing behind them. Ozai scowled as he realized that he and the warriors were encased in a thick circle of fire.

He shook off his annoyance with an amused laugh… so they thought they had outsmarted him? The two thought they could beat him if they trapped him and attacked as a team? Ozai gave them a cynical look as he considered his options. The space around him was limited… with the fire blazing around them, there wasn't much point in further firebending. The two in front of him seemed to realize the same things, for they looked uneasy. This complication, however, only made the ensuing fight more interesting. Furthermore, Ozai had a plan, but from the look on his rivals' faces, they did not.

With the other two still puzzled over what to do, Ozai closed the distance between them and grabbed one man by the arm, twisting it to a breaking point. The one before him knelled in pain, but the other made to throw a punch at him. As he advanced forward, Ozai's own counterattack set him off balance and he crashed to the ground. A sudden cry of pain broke through the crackling sound of the fire. Ozai glanced down at his captive—half of the man's leg had been pushed into the wall of fire when Ozai performed his counterattack. He didn't have time to respond to the situation. The arm he held in his grip broke as the warrior suddenly turned, and his free fist then collided with the side of Ozai's head.

His vision went out of focus and his grip on the man loosened, even though he fought to keep hold. Another hit, focused on his legs, came from behind. His legs were now giving out and the arm he was grasping finally slipped from his grip. With his head still spinning, he quickly crossed both of his arms in front of his chest, only to swing them out wide with streams of fire. There were screams as he felt the fire ripple around him. Finally, his vision cleared, and he stood to find himself alone. His attack had sent the two men outside the ring of fire. He ran a hand through his hair to check the spot where he saw hit. His hand came back without any blood on it. A slight smirk pulled at his lips. The battle had taken an interesting turn. If his captive hadn't been forced into the fire, then he might not have tried such a desperate attack.

Convinced that all of his opponents were either dead or incapacitated, Ozai carefully made his way through various patches of fire. He turned toward a mangled body with the intention of searching for the keys to his shackles, but his curiosity won the better of him. As smoke wafted into the air, he made his way to the forest's edge. When he reached the shade of the trees, he stopped short. The chief blocked the path before him.

With grim eyes and voice, he spoke, "It seems that you made quick work of my men."

Ozai sneered in satisfaction, "And yet you remained hidden."

He didn't respond, so Ozai continued, "They were quite disappointing. I can only imagine how poor your own skills must be."

His frown deepened, "If it is a fight you desire, then you shall have it."

"I desire to know what you—and your men—are hiding."

The chief shifted into a fighting stance, "You will have to kill me for such knowledge."

As the shadows cast by the setting sun darkened the forest, Ozai's sneer extended until the malice met his eyes.

* * *

Changes are coming. Katara is starting to realize that the time of peace had changed her, and being in her curent situation is finally starting to make her think and act as she would have done during the war. Some of you have commented on how "weak" Katara has been acting, but I wanted her to act that way because the time away from all the war had changed her. I don't think I've done a very good job of explaining that through the progress of the story. So, I'm explaing it now. I'm sorry if any of you have thought that Katara was OOC. I plan to explain my view, and Katara's epiphany, in the next chapter or two. I could have not adressed this issue, and could have simply waited until said chapter to explain, but it was bothering me. As I read through my ealier chapters, I thought my meaning wasn't very clear.

Ozai is also going to become crueler. Surprise, surprise.

Also, Katara was amazed by the Firebenders of the island. Ozai was not and he beat them rather easily. Despite the islander's skills, I think that Ozai's power would overwhelm them. Because Ozai is badass.

**Love, hugs, and Fire Flakes to all who review!**


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